Witchcraft: Three persons lynched to death in Smit

SHILLONG, AUG 17: The belief in witchcraft practices seem to be unabated as mob who believes that anyone who is practicing this black-magic has to be killed continued with three persons being the latest victim of the mob fury on Friday night at Smit village.

The three identified as Yesly Mawthoh and his sons D Nongdhar and Besly Mawthoh were lynched to death after a resident of the same locality alleged that he was put under the black magic spell by the trio.

According to the East Khasi hills SP M Kharkhraing angry mob stormed the residence of the victims at Smit village; about 8 kilometers from Shillong, on Friday night after a resident informed them that the trio had performed some kind of witchcraft rituals on him last week.

Kharkhrang said, “Three persons were lynched to dead and one of our constables was injured in the incident last night.”  He said, the victims were all from the same family.

It is alleged that the person who had made the allegation against the three had claimed that he had survived narrowly earlier this week after they had dumped him near a stream in the village by the trio. The villagers alleged that the person had to be rushed to a private hospital as his nails and nose were badly battered.

The hospitalised person named the attackers shortly after he gained consciousness on Friday which led the angry mob to rush to the residence of the trio. On being informed of the attacked, police team rushed to the spot, lathi charged the crowd who were witnessed to the incident. A police constable was also injured in the incident.

However it was too late as the police could not save the three from being lynched to death by the mob.

Till filing of this report nobody has been arrested as Kharkhrang said the police are trying to verify the sources of the allegations and investigate it. – By Our Reporter