Woman branded witch, forced to ‘eat excreta’: Gauhati High Court grants bail to accused

The Gauhati High Court has released a man accused of participating in a mob that allegedly subjected a woman to a series of horrific acts after she was labeled a witch. The woman, forced to eat her own excreta and stripped publicly, was dragged across a river by an unnamed individual, according to the informant, who is the daughter of the victim.

The court, in its September 15 ruling, noted that the investigation was already complete and a charge-sheet filed, and that the accused had spent over 72 days in custody. The court reasoned that further detention was unnecessary for the trial, granting bail on condition of a Rs 50,000 bond with two sureties. The specific allegation against the petitioner was his act of dragging the woman's daughter by the hand across the river. Both the petitioner and the state were represented during the proceedings.