Shocking! Odisha man killed by villagers over sorcery suspicion, body burnt

Daringbadi: Suspicion over a person of practising sorcery took an ugly turn as several villagers of Badabanga under Daringbadi police limits in Odisha’s Kandhamal district allegedly killed a man by thrashing him and later burned the body.

According to reports, health condition of one Manoj Pradhan of the village had deteriorated and he died a week ago. Pradhan’s son Budu suspected that sorcery by Subhas Chandra Majhi (40) led to the death of his father.

In an act of revenge, Budu along with some villagers barged into the house of Majhi yesterday and started thrashing him in the presence of his wife Santoshini, their two-year-old son and four-year-old daughter.

Though she requested them to pardon her husband but in vain. They dragged him out of the house and beat him black and blue leading to his death on the spot.

They later took the body to a nearby crematorium and burned the body.

Santoshini, on the other hand, somehow managed to reach Daringibadi police station, 23 km away from the village, and lodged a complaint. Police have started investigation into the incident registering a murder case.

Though 80 per cent of the body was gutted in fire by the time police reached the spot, the skull has been recovered. A total of seven persons have been detained in connection with the case for questioning.