<i>Save hapless Chanmuni from ignorant villagers</i>

An ethnic woman became victim of merciless torture at Madhabpur village under Pirganj upazila in the district for two days from Sunday night as a local foreteller 'identified' her as a witch.
The victim is Chanmuni Tudu, 30, wife of Laxmi Murmu, 42, of Madhabpur village.
Lalmoni Tudu, 22, wife of Chunu Murmu of the village, was admitted to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital with different health problems around one month ago, said Sikra Murmu and Sunil Murmu, leaders of the ethnic community of the village.
But the poor family brought her back after two days and arranged treatment by a local herbal practitioner. As she did not improve after several days, the family members went to a foreteller who identified Chanmuni as a witch and held her responsible for prolonged illness of Lalmoni and a few other villagers.
On Sunday night Chanmuni Tudu was sleeping with her husband Laxmi Murmu when she put a hand on his chest. He got scared and started crying, saying that his wife caught him to snatch his live.
Consequently, the ethnic people of the village gathered at the house and started beating Chanmuni, said the victim and her parents.
The villagers said Chanmuni, as she was witch, had been sucking blood from the villagers, resulting in their illness.
When Chanmuni's father Baburam Tudu, mother Champa Hasda and their four relatives went to Madhabpur village on Monday night the villagers beat them up and confined them there.
Hearing about the incident, reporters of different print and electronic media and lawyers went to the village on Tuesday night, organised a meeting there and explained to the villagers that their idea about the so-called 'witch' was wrong.
Chanmuni's parents brought her to their Nababganj village house in Dinajpur on Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon Lalmoni Tudu was admitted to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital where Dr Khairul Kabir, senior consultant of chest disease, identified her problem as complications in the lungs.