Dibrugarh: It was a moment of relief for Jogen Halowa from Charaideo in Assam as a court here on Monday sentenced 23 people to life imprisonment for killing his mother on suspicion of witchcraft, 13 years after the incident.
Charaideo District and Sessions Judge Abubakkar Siddique pronounced the judgment by convicting 12 men and 11 women for committing the crime, and sentenced them to life imprisonment, besides imposing a fine of Rs 5,000 each. The court also ordered the convicts to pay a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the victim's family.
The 2012 incident had sparked widespread outrage and led to a prolonged trial that lasted 13 years. According to police, a woman from Jalha village in Charaideo district lost her life to the brutality of a mob driven by superstition.
Jogen Halowa, who led the legal battle on behalf of his family, recollecting the incident, said, "Suspecting her of witchcraft, they grabbed my mother, tied her to a tree, killed her, and burned her. They tortured her through the night and burned her in the morning".
"I was not home when they took my mother. When I found out, I went there, but seeing the crowd, I returned. In the morning, the administration officials came and took me there. When I went there, I saw my mother reduced to ashes. No one should do such a thing. There is no such thing as a witch," he added. The revelation of this heinous crime sent shockwaves through the Charaideo district and the entire state.
Following the incident, the police arrested 35 people and launched an investigation based on a complaint filed by the woman's son, Jogen Halowa, at the Sonari Police Station. Subsequently, the case reached the court for trial. After a protracted trial spanning 13 long years, the court finally delivered its verdict after the final hearing on Monday.
Expressing relief over the verdict, Adv. Maheshwar Gaduka said, " A total of 35 people were arrested in connection with the incident, out of which 10 were acquitted. One of them was the village head at the time, who has since passed away. Another was the secretary of the village defence force; he was only fined for not taking action despite being informed about the incident".
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