A family facing social boycott for alleged witchcraft in Arang area of Raipur since 2012 is still experiencing the social repercussions as the marriage of a girl of the family was broken recently.
Incidentally, an elderly woman was killed in front of her family members in the suspicion of practising witchcraft in Banjarpur village of Bemetra district recently.The killings on suspicion of witchcraft is common in Chhattisgarh and the law ‘Chhattisgarh Witchcraft Atrocities (Prevention) Act, 2005’ had been enacted to prevent such crimes.
Talking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, Ramcharan Jangde, a resident of Tamaseoni village under Arang police station said that his family was socially boycotted by the villagers in 2012. The villagers had accused his mother of performing witchcraft. When they raised objection, Ramcharan, his father and mother were thrashed by villagers causing severe injuries to them.
He said that the family members are running from pillar to post for justice and demanding action against the villagers as well as police officers of Arang police station for not taking action against the accused.
“The cops threatened my father of implicating in false case and asked us to compromise. Eventually a case was registered against me and my father,” alleged Ramcharan adding that a counter case was registered by police on payment of Rs50,000.
He said that the counter case was, however, registered only against six out of the 20 accused. He had given representation to the Superintendent of Police (SP) in this regard this year and directions were given to the Town Inspector (TI) of Arang police station who instead of recording statements is trying to hush-up the case, he alleged.
After facing the social boycott, we are living with no mutual relations with the rest of the families in the village. Even the marriage of my sister fixed with one Bhupendra Kosle was broken due to the social expulsion and threats by the villagers, alleged Ramcharan.Ramcharan is seeking justice for his family and demanding action against the villagers as well as police officers of Arang police station.