By IANS,
Agartala : An elderly couple in Tripura committed suicide after their tribe excommunicated them for allegedly practising witchcraft, police said here Thursday.
Thakur Mohan Chakma, 85, and his wife Gunabati, 73, committed suicide Tuesday at Santir Bazar in south Tripura, 110 km south of here, since they were unable to bear the humiliation.
“Local leaders of the tribal Chakma community accused the couple of casting evil spells on villagers, leading to the death of two people and the illness of many others in the past few months,” police spokesman P.K. Das told IANS.
“The community leaders had asked the villagers, including the family members of the victims, to snap all relations with the couple,” he added.
No arrests have been made so far. Superstitious beliefs, black magic and demonology are integral to tribal custom in parts of Assam, Tripura and other northeast states.