She was called a ‘witch’, forced to ‘eat excreta’. Then accused got bail

“Having regard to the materials available on record and also the period of detention undergone, further detention of the petitioner may not be necessary for the purpose of trial,” the court said.

‘Mob gathered, stripped mother’

The informant, who is the daughter of the woman, lodged a complaint on June 11 alleging that the main accused took her parents away after branding her mother a witch and gathered other villagers, who allegedly assaulted the mother, forced her to eat her own excreta and stripped her in public.

It was also alleged that one of the other accused was earlier married to the informant’s younger sister, but after their divorce, he spread a rumour that her mother was a witch.

Justice Sanjeev Kumar Sharma granted bail to the man on the condition of furnishing a bail bond of Rs 50,000.

As far as the present petitioner is concerned, the allegation against him was that he caught the informant by the hand and dragged her across the river. The same was also stated by the witnesses in their statements.

The man was represented by advocates B P Borah, J B Choudhury and P J Dutta in the matter, while the state was represented by the public prosecutor.

“The investigation of the case is over and the charge-sheet has already been submitted. The petitioner has spent above 72 days in custody,” the court said. It granted bail to the man on the condition of furnishing a bail bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the like amount to the satisfaction of the special judge concerned, with the condition that he shall not approach or try to contact any of the victims or other witnesses acquainted with the facts of the case.