India villagers kill faith healers

INDIA: Five people from two tribal families of faith healers were killed by villagers who blamed a spread of jaundice and viral fever on their alleged “witchcraft”, police said Tuesday.

About half-a-dozen people armed with crude implements attacked one couple in their sleep, police chief Mrinal Talkukdar told AFP.

Another family in a nearby village were killed by a crowd wielding machetes and spears, police said.

“The couple and their teenaged daughter were attacked by a mob,” Talkukdar said.

The victims who were killed Monday were faith healers but after scores of people were struck down with jaundice and viral fever, villagers accused them of practising witchcraft and casting “evil spells,” police said. “This is nothing but killings inspired by superstition and we are following the two cases to arrest those involved in the barbaric attack,” Talkukdar said.

Both incidents took place in Kokrajhar district of northeastern Assam state, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) from the state’s main city of Guwahati.

Guwahati, Wednesday, AFP.