Widows branded as witches, stripped naked and beaten in India

Five Muslim widows branded as witches by villagers and a local cleric were paraded naked, beaten, and forced to eat human excrement in a remote village of Deoghar district in India.

“On Sunday morning the victims were taken to a playground where hundreds had assembled to watch the ghastly incident,” deputy inspector general of police Murari Lal Meena told the BBC.  ”No one in the mob came forward to rescue the victims as they were being stripped and beaten up.”

Four people were arrested in connection with the incident.  Complaints were lodged against 11 other villagers, including six women.  The victims are now under police custody.

Similar incidents in India occurred in the past where hundreds of people, mostly women, were killed for allegedly being witches.

Experts say that superstitious beliefs still being rampantly followed in India are behind these incidents.

[via bbc.co.uk]