Witch doctor arrested after forcing newborn baby to walk in Indian village

The child was later taken to hospital

A woman forces a new born baby to walk (YouTube/NDTV)

Footage showing the moment a bawling newborn baby was grabbed by the neck and forced to walk by a witch doctor in a rural Indian village has emerged online.

The two-day-old infant is understood to have been suffering from a high fever since birth, and his concerned parents turned to the village witch doctor for treatment.

A video taken by a villager present during the ritual in the state of Assam shows the woman, believed to be in her 50s, holding the baby by the neck, and making him take several steps in front of a crowd of people.

Warning: Viewers may find this footage disturbing

The clip was widely shared and shown to Morigoan police.

The child is now in hospital and recovering, NDTV reported.

Police have arrested the witch doctor and another woman, and are in judicial custody.

Rakesh Kumar, a senior official in Morigaon, warned mothers in rural areas of the country to avoid seeking help from witch doctors.

He told the broadcaster: “He [the newborn] was suffering from fever, but now the baby is healthy. We must overhaul our post natal care system, have directed officials to launch a vigorous campaign.”