Five of family beheaded for "witchcraft" in Assam

[Melo 1]

GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) - A tea plantation worker and his four children were beheaded in Assam by a mob which accused them of practising black magic, police said on Sunday.

Sixty-year-old Amir Munda, who was also a traditional healer, his two sons and two daughters were killed by angry villagers after a kangaroo court held them guilty of spreading a mysterious disease which killed two people and left many others ill over the last two weeks.

The incident took place late on Saturday in a tea garden near Biswanath Charali town in Sonitpur district of Assam, about 300 km north of Guwahati, the state's main city.

"More than 200 people who were involved in the gruesome murder marched to the police station carrying the severed heads and shouting slogans against witchcraft all the way," T. Gogoi, a local police officer, said by phone.

He said the heads were left at the police station.

Tribal people and tea plantation workers in Assam, who live in unhygienic conditions in malaria-infested areas with little drinking water and healthcare facilities, often go to local traditional healers to cure illnesses.

[KarenCee 3]

OMG....how archaic and barbaric!!!

[Fuzzness 2]

Mob mentality exists in India too eh?

[Englishsammy 17]

words can't even describe this.....its just dreadful

[Melo 1]

Yes this is awful - many like to believe that India is a civilised country with a wonderful culture - I do not think so and these kinds of things just cement my belief!!!

[Peggy 1]

Glad I dont live there is all I have to say

[KarenCee 3]

Yes this is awful - many like to believe that India is a civilised country with a wonderful culture - I do not think so and these kinds of things just cement my belief!!!

Many people only see what they want to see....or are allowed to see.

[chocolaterie 0]

What can we expect from a country that has so many people living in poverty and without proper education. India does have a culture with many beautiful aspects but it has many flaws like ours does.

[rbhigday 0]

hmmm and this is the country that so many US companies outsource there customer service too, how nice!!!

[Jasman0717 9]

Black magic - #######

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

The filthy animals responsible should be put down.

[MaryandMian 1]

Horrific crime.

[babybunny 2]

The filthy animals responsible should be put down.

I agree with that.

[pbgirl 1]

I agree that this is a terrible crime, compounded by a community who was obvioulsy threatened by a healer. Black magic is a huge issue for many people's minds in India. Seen as witchcraft and evil.

But please, I don't understand why you are condeming the entire country for it and call it uncivilsed and uncultured. That is not true. That in itself is unfair for the many people who live in India and probably also agree that is a horrific crime and don't agree with the actions of this community.

I am an Indian (yes, and very proud of it) so you can call be baised in my opinion, but I have never put down India for its actions or behaviors. I don't take the actions of one group and assign to an entire culture, race or creed.

And as for outsourcing question/comment....did you know there are a lot of American citizens actually moving to India to work in high tech firms there because the jobs are better, the cost of living is lower and the opportunites are greater for them??

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

But please, I don't understand why you are condeming the entire country for it...

Same reason Americans condemn entire swaths of the Middle East for the sh!t some of them do.