Tripura: Three arrested over murder on witchcraft

Agartala: Tripura Police have arrested three persons for allegedly killing a woman on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Abhicharan village under Sidhai police station in West Tripura district, officials said on Friday.

The arrests were made on Thursday night after days of search operations. Police said the identities of the accused have been withheld to ensure a fair investigation. They were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in West Tripura, seeking police remand.

According to investigators, the victim, identified as Nanda Rani Debbarma, was attacked and later hanged to death on October 26 after the accused allegedly believed she had cast an evil spell on their families.

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Acting on a local sorcerer’s advice, they blamed her for prolonged illnesses among their relatives.

The incident came to light after Debbarma’s sister, Takshati Debbarma, lodged a complaint, prompting police to exhume the body for autopsy.

Three of the five accused named in the FIR were arrested from a nearby forest.

Security has been tightened in the area to prevent any further unrest, police said.