Woman killed being branded a witch

AGARTALA, May 17? Insurgents of banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have shot dead a woman leader of ruling CPI-M after branding her as a witch at Ramchandragha village of West Tripura district, police said Friday, reports PTI. Police said a group of armed NLFT ultras raided the village last night and stormed the house of one Dewan Debbarma and dragged his wife Madhumala Debbarma out of the hut, police said. The ultras blamed that she was a witch and responsible for spread of diseases in the village and shot the woman dead before fleeing the spot, police said adding they, however, spared the husband. She was a woman leader and member of CPI-M?s local committee. Police suspected that the insurgents adopted a new strategy to kill the tribal woman member of ruling CPI-M by branding them as witch.