Tripura police have arrested three people for allegedly killing a 63-year-old tribal woman after accusing her of practising witchcraft. The incident took place in Abhicharan village, which falls under the Sidhai Police Station area in West Tripura district.
According to police officials, the woman, identified as Nandarani Debbarma, had gone missing from her home recently. Her disappearance raised suspicion among villagers and her family members, who informed the police. Police then launched a special search operation in the area to trace her.
During the operation, the police team received leads that the woman might have been harmed due to superstitious beliefs held by some villagers. Officers searched a nearby forested area, where they eventually found her body. The remains were buried in the ground, police said. The body was recovered on October 26 after being exhumed from a forest location in the village. 
After the recovery of the body, police registered an FIR and began searching for the suspects who were believed to be involved in the killing. Following the investigation, three people from the same locality were taken into custody on Thursday.
Sidhai Police Station officer-in-charge Ajit Kumar Chakma confirmed the arrests on Friday. He said, “The body of the elderly woman was exhumed from a forest area at Abhicharan on October 26. An FIR was lodged after the recovery of the body. On Thursday, we arrested three persons from the locality for their alleged involvement in the killing of the woman.”
