Sorcery suspicion: Odisha man assaulted; face smeared with feces

Balangir: A person was allegedly attacked by villagers and his face was smeared with feces over suspicion of practising sorcery at Sirabahal village under Gudbhela block in Balangir district of Odisha.

Total 26 persons have been booked and four persons were arrested in this connection, Tushura police said on Saturday.

According to reports, one of the villagers namely Biranchi Chatria had confronted Sukru Nag alleging him of practising witchcraft in the village. On Friday, the suspected sorcerer was called by his aide Raghu Chatria to a meeting chaired by Biranchi. The duo indulged into a fight over suspicion of witchcraft practice.

At the meeting, Biranchi allegedly attacked both Sukru and his aide Raghu and smeared face of Sukru with feces. It sparked tension in their families and they confronted each other in which Raghu was seriously injured. He was rushed to the Gudbhela PHC from where he was shifted to the DHH in Balangir.

On Friday night, Sukru lodged a written complaint at the Tushura Police Station following which a case was registered against 16 persons. The next day, the police arrested Biranchi, his wife Kanchan and two others in connection with the case and forwarded them to a local court.

In counter allegation, Biranchi’s wife mentioned in a complaint that Sukru and Raghu among eight persons abused her husband during a meeting on Friday and attacked him. Based on the complaint, the police registered another case against 10 persons, informed Tushura IIC Joshobant Pradhan yesterday.