Mob lynches man suspected of practising witchcraft

A man was lynched today by a mob which suspected him of practising witchcraft that led to the death of a woman on Sunday in Assam's Jorhat district, the police said.
Lal Bauri (48) was beaten to death by the mob at Bashbari Tea Division of Sokolating Tea Estate in the wee hours, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Gunindra Deka.
The assailants put his body inside a sack and threw it in the nearby Kakodunga river beside NH-37 within the limits of Pulibor police station, Deka said.
The people suspected Bauri of practising witchcraft leading to the death of the 22-year old Deepanjali Tanti, a neighbour of Bauri, the police said.

Deepanjali was suffering from TB and was in Jorhat Medical College Hospital for a few days, but was sent home on Saturday as she could not recover and died at her house the next day. After her death, the neighbours and relatives suspected Bauri of being behind her demise, police said.
Bauri, father of eight sons, had come out to meet the people and to clarify that he was not involved in the girl's death or sorcery, but the mob hit him with sharp weapons, sticks and axe leading to his death, the police said.
On receiving information about the incident, the police with the help of SDRF recovered Lal's body from the river, they said, adding that an extensive search operation was on to trap the culprits as the police managed to pick up one Utpal Oriya while all others were absconding.