Indian police arrest 7 for beheading old woman for alleged witchcraft

Indian police Monday arrested seven people in the northeast state Assam for beheading a 63-year- old women who they said was a "witch," said local media.

Police in north-central Assam's Sonitpur district arrested the suspects who were among a group of people killing the victim in a village, the Hindustan Times online quoted police as saying.

The murder was also linked with the rivalry of two communities which share the village near Biswanath Chariali town, 248 km northeast of the state capital Guwahati, said the report.

Witch-hunting is common in Assam, especially in the areas dominated by Bodo and Adivasi tribes. Over 130 people were killed in the state over the past 15 years for allegedly practicing witchcraft, according to the report.