JOWAI: West Jaintia Hills Police on Monday afternoon arrested 10 people including two women in connection with an ostracism case in Tamu village under Thadlaskein C&RD Block.
The Dorbar Shnong of Tamu village had ostracized the entire family of one Sawanlangko Suting including her two sons, two daughters besides her grand children on October 25 last for alleged practicing witchcraft.
While the headman of the village, Phamly Pakma was arrested on November 5, the village secretary Hamdres Chen was taken into custody on Monday.
The other arrested, who are residents of Tamu, have been identified as Phot Laloo, Moris Dkhar, Marshial Dhar, Jamlan Laloo, Boy Laloo, Kwin Pakma, Jriwel Manner and two women Phuh Laloo and Phelty Dha.
Chen has been remanded in 3-day police custody while the others were remanded in judicial custody.
The 10 arrested were granted interim bail on November 5 but the order was revoked by the court a week ago as the accused were found absconding from the village.
It may be mentioned that after trading allegations of witch hunting against Suting, a mob had set ablaze an RCC residential building owned by her besides burning three other Assam type houses and a cow shed. Household articles including clothes, 30 sacks of paddy, carpenter tools and cash worth Rs 24 lakh were also reduced to ashes.
According to information received, the turn of events was set in motion in June, 2012 when one of Suting’s daughters had appeared an interview for the job of an Anganwadi worker in the ICDS centre at Tamu-II. Suting’s daughter was not selected as she was not a resident of Tamu-II but was from Tamu-I, which is also under the same headman.
Another woman, Ruda Chen, a resident of Tamu-II, was selected for the job and in August, 2012, Ruda Chen felt sick and her family members believed that she had been possessed by a Taro (an evil spirit).
During her illness, Ruda had uttered the name of Sawanglangko Suting, prompting the family members to believe that Suting was a Taro keeper.
After the sick woman uttered Suting’s name, Ruda’s relatives and friends came with lethal weapons and attacked Suting and her family members. Suting was also forcibly taken to Ruda’s resident where she was locked for more than 24 hours in a room and forcibly made to sign a paper. Following the incident, the headman called for a meeting of the Dorbar Shnong where it was decided to expel Suting and her entire family from the village.