GUWAHATI: Gauhati high court on Friday issued a notice on the Assam government to submit its action taken report on stopping the rampant cases of witch-hunting in the state.
The HC asked the social welfare department, Assam State Women’s Commission and several other departments, besides Assam Police, to file their reply by January 24 next year. Read more here
A man and his wife were arrested Monday in Odisha‘s Ganjam district for torturing their daughter-in-law for allegedly practicing sorcery, police said. Read more here
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Witchcraft and superstition beliefs are also hampering campaign against gender violence in the islands, which has vowed to spare no efforts in the anti gender violence campaign.
Some of the worst incidences of gender violence have been linked to ‘superstition, and witchcraft.’ Gender activists says that the beliefs are causing more harm than good, and people are scared to speak about abuses because some perpetrators are ‘spiritually’ protected and can harm whoever speaks badly against them. Read more here
UDAIPUR: Yet another case of a tribal woman being abused and beaten up by gangs on allegations of witch craft has drawn attention of the district administration here. A 20-year-old married woman from Malva Ka Choura village of Bekariya in Kotra tehsil adjoining the Gujarat border, has been allegedly beaten up by a group of men who branded her as a witch. Read more here
Every month in Papua New Guinea, stories emerge of people being put to death, accused of being sorcerers. The belief in witchcraft is deeply embedded in the country’s culture and tackling is proving a tough problem for PNG’s law-makers. Read more here
An official in Bahrain has demanded that his government take steps to warn its citizens about the dangers of witchcraft and crack down on its practice. Read more here
On December 15, Gabon is having municipal elections. Once more, ritual killings of children and others are being used by politicians who hope to increase their luck before elections. There is someone found dead and mutilated somewhere in Gabon every 1 to 2 days. The killing of young Catherine, 4 years old, in late October 2013 reminded us of the brutality of ritual crimes against children.The phenomenon has increased dramatically since President Ali Bongo’s fraudulent elections in 2009. Read more here
The Valiv police arrested a tantrik and five men, who allegedly performed human sacrifice by beheading a woman last month. The men were arrested Friday, the same day when the state Assembly passed the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill, during the winter session at Nagpur. Read more here
PLUMTREE – In a spine-chilling incident, two men belonging to a Matobo family in Matabeleland South have been arrested with their female neighbour for allegedly poisoning their six-year-old niece for ritual purposes. Read more here
