Two men were rescued today from a witch doctor’s altar of sacrifice at a Burdwan village, about 100 km from Calcutta.
The quack was about to kill Mongal Hembram and Bansiram Soren in Kusumpur after a yagna, holding them responsible for several accidental deaths in the village.
Residents of the tribal-dominated hamlet beat up the duo suspecting that “evil spirits” had cast a spell on them.
Mongal and Bansiram were tied to a tree and the yagna was underway when policemen, acting on a tip-off, raided the village. The two told the police that they would have been burnt to death if help had not arrived on time.
A police officer said: “A jaanguru (witch doctor), Kashinath Mullick, identified Mongal and Bansiram as the two dains (witches) who cast an evil spell on them. He also told the villagers that only sacrificing them after a yagna could free them from the spirit.”
Superintendent of police Neeraj Kumar Singh said three people, including Mullick, have been arrested.
About 200-odd villagers later demonstrated in front of the local police station demanding that Mongal and Bansiram be handed over to them because they “are witches and had to be punished”.
When the mob could not be persuaded to leave, the police had to resort to lathicharge. Police pickets were posted in the village and in front of the houses of Mongal and Bansiram to protect their families.
Singh said: “Recently, three villagers died in road accidents and Mullick provoked people against the duo.”
Tension prevailed in Kusumpur through the day.
Former Jamalpur legislator and CPM leader Sunil Hansda said: “It is a matter of shame for us, especially because Burdwan district is known for its high literacy.”
Literate or not, Hansda admitted that superstition still reigned supreme in many parts of the district and an awareness drive was essential to improve quality of life in tribal areas.