SILCHAR: Eleven people, including three women, were arrested in an overnight drive by the police in connection with the killing of a labourer on suspicions of practising witchcraft at a tea garden in Assam's Cachar district.

Police said the 53-year-old labourer identified as Jawaharlal Mora was killed on Thursday allegedly by other labourers who suspected him to be practicing witchcraft at Kalabil Basti of Narainpur tea garden of the district.

The man, who was blamed for the various illnesses being suffered by the people of the area, was buried at Kalabil near the tea garden after some rituals to appease the gods.

When police reached the spot along with a magistrate on Thursday night the labourers prevented them from taking away the body.

The body was, however, exhumed and seized on Friday by a big contingent of police and CRPF personal amidst resistance and attack by an irate mob of locals. The police had to fire in the air to control the situation before they could take away the body.

Blaming Mora of practicing witchcraft, arrested woman Rita Mora has alleged that Mora with his "evil power" had paralyzed her husband, while another woman Radhamoni has claimed black magic by him had made her relative ill. The third arrested woman Kunjabati was also convinced that Mora was the reason for her son's illness.

Additional security forces were rushed to the area and senior police officials are camping there to keep a strict vigil on the situation and contain it, the police added.

