23 arrested in killing of alleged witches

Assam POLICE officials have arrested nearly two dozen people in the killings of 11 men and women for allegedly practising witchcraft and sorcery.

Seven women and four men were killed in April alone by fellow villagers in Assam state. They were suspected of performing in witchcraft and thus causing death and disease in the area.

Police official P K Dutta told The Associated Press today that 23 people have been arrested so far in connection with the killings and the police are looking for several others who have fled.

Witch hunting has seized Assam for years, with those suspected of sorcery frequently killed in cold blood by fellow villagers.