The Indian Express ·
Woman branded witch, forced to ‘eat excreta’: Gauhati High Court grants bail to accused
A woman was allegedly branded a witch and assaulted by villagers, including the accused, following which her daughter filed a complaint, leading to his arrest.
The Gauhati High Court has granted bail to a man accused of being part of a mob that allegedly assaulted a woman after she was branded a witch, forced her to eat her own excreta, stripped her in public and made her and her husband walk across a river before taking them to a bus stand to drive them out of the village. The specific allegation against the petitioner was that he caught the woman’s daughter by the hand and dragged her across the river.
Justice Sanjeev Kumar Sharma noted in the September 15 order that the investigation had already been completed and the chargesheet filed. It also noted that the man had spent over 72 days in custody and held that his further detention was not necessary for the trial.
“Having regard to the materials available on record and also the period of detention undergone, further detention of the petitioner may not be necessary for the purpose of trial,” the court said.