Religious Superstition claims Girl’s life in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jharsuguda, Mar 4:

In a brutal incident, a girl was killed by her two friends over religious superstition in Jharsuguda district of Odisha.

The incident took place at Bijapalli village under Rengali police limits in Lakhanpur block of Jharsuguda district on Thursday night.

According to reports, the victim was identified as Sanjukta Jayapuria (17), a Plus Two student of Panchgaon Mahima College. She was invited by her two friends to attend a puja at Dolamani Jayapuria’s home. The two friends are identified as one of her cousin sister and another is a Plus Three student of Belpahad College.

When Sanjukta reached the venue, her two friends started dancing openly proclaiming themselves as the incarnations of Lord Brahma and Lord Bishnu. During the dance, the friends began showing unusual behaviour towards Sanjukta. They stripped her clothes and pulled out her hair. They violently attacked her with a weapon and she died on the spot. Although, the Dolamani’s family and others witnessed the entire episode, they did not try to save the girl from her friends.

Acting on the information, Rengali police reached the spot next morning and seized some puja items, Sanjukta’s clothes and Hanuman stone. The investigation is underway.

The two accused girls were detained by the police and the body of the deceased has been sent for autopsy. The search operation has been launched to nab others who were present at the spot.

According to sources, Sanjukta, the daughter of Gopal Jayapuria, was initiated Shiva Guru diksha. The initiators had been worshipping Lord Shiva at Dolamani’s house since last Mahashivratri. Sanjukta had been invited to the puja on the occasion.