Residents of a village in Assam allegedly killed two people after a kangaroo court found a 50-year-old widow to be a “witch” and responsible for a 28-year-old woman’s death on September 27, NDTV reported on Friday. The other victim was reportedly protesting against the kangaroo court’s decision and was also beaten to death.

Superintendent of Police Debojit Deuri said they arrested nine people, who have confessed to the crimes, Hindustan Times reported. “Efforts are on to nab six other accused who are absconding,” he added.

The incident took place on Wednesday night but was reported to the police on Thursday. On Wednesday at Dokmoka in Karbi Anglong district, the villagers claimed that 50-year-old widow Ramawati Halua started behaving in an “abnormal way” after the post-death ritual of the 28-year-old deceased woman.

Some villagers alleged the woman of practicing witchcraft. A kangaroo court was held, where they found Halua responsible for the death of the woman and bringing bad luck to the villagers, while branding her as a “witch”. Unidentified officials said after the mob began beating the 50-year-old widow, a 28-year-old man intervened and accused the villagers of superstition. He was attacked as well.

The mob beat the duo, unrelated to each other, to death, offered rituals to the local deity and cremated their bodies on a single pyre in a nearby hill, unidentified officials said.

Police superintendent Deuri said they have collected the mortal remains of the victims from the funeral pyre. “We also collected soil samples from the spot,” Deori said. “We have seized the sharp weapons used for the crime and have arrested nine people.”

The police have registered a murder case under the Indian Penal Code and the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act against the villagers. “Our effort will be to nab all accused, get all the required evidence and reports from the forensic lab and file a chargesheet in the case within the quickest possible time,” Deuri said.

The witch-hunting legislation has been in effect since 2018. Witch-hunting is viewed as a cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence, according to the law. Since 2011, as many as 107 people have been killed in witch-hunting instances, according to data presented in the state Assembly in November 2019.