Athlete tortured on witchcraft charges in Assam

A poor farm labour selected to represent India as a javelin thrower has been beaten up and tortured earlier in the week on charges of practicing witchcraft in the country's north-eastern state of Assam.

Debjani Bora, a mother of three, works in other people's farms with her husband and the couple just about manage to live hand-to-mouth.

But she has won gold medals in Indian national championships as a javelin thrower and was slated to represent the country in the Asian Masters later this year.

One of her sons works as a labour in a coalfield in neighbouring state of Meghalaya.

On Tuesday, Debjani was dragged to the 'Namghar' (community prayer hall in Assam) in Cherekali village in Assam's Karbi Anglong district to face a 'public trial' on charges of being a witch.

Three chronic alcoholics have died in the village during the last few months and one jilted lover has committed suicide.

"I was blamed for all these deaths in the village, wrapped up in fishing nets and beaten up severely." said Debjani Bora, rendered unconscious in the assault.

She was rushed to a local primary healthcare centre where she regained consciousness on Wednesday.

The village is in a remote hill region 180km east of Assam's capital Guwahati.

"Instead of finding out why all the deaths occurred, some village elders suspected a witch was driving the people to death and organised a puja. As the villagers were chanting hyms, one elderly woman Radha Laskar identified me as the witch and shouted that I should be punished,” Debjani told journalists.

Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police Mugdha Jyoti Mahanta said Radha Laskar, who provoked the attack, was arrested on Thursday after Bora's family filed a formal complaint.

"We suspect Laskar may have targeted Bora for personal reasons,” said Mahanta.

But Bora is worried she may miss out on the Asian Masters scheduled in Malaysia later this year.

"I once missed out on the Asian Masters in 2011-12 because I did not have any money even to travel to Delhi. I don't want to miss out again now that I have saved some."

Witchcraft is rampant in Assam, particularly among the Bodo and Rabha tribes and the Adivasis or tea plantation workers.

In the last five years, nearly 90 persons – some men but mostly women – were beheaded, burnt alive or stabbed to death on suspicion of being witches.

Very often, rival claimants of land or other property brand someone as the witch to drive them out of the village for grabbing it.