26 arrested for killing man over witchcraft suspicion in Odisha’s Cuttack: Police
Police said the deceased, Tikan Behera, was allegedly dragged from his home on May 10, beaten to death in a nearby forest and later burned in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Police have arrested 26 villagers from Talamundali Sabarsahi in Cuttack district of Odisha, nine days after a 30-year-old man was beaten to death over suspicion of witchcraft in a nearby forest and his body was later set ablaze, police said.
Police said Behera was abducted from his residence around 11 pm on May 10
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Police said the deceased, Tikan Behera, was allegedly dragged from his home on May 10, beaten to death in a nearby forest and later burned in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The case came to light after social media posts questioned Behera’s disappearance. His father, Seta Behera, who works outside the village, filed a police complaint on Monday after failing to trace his son, police said.
“Villagers repeatedly suspected Tikan of practising witchcraft. There were altercations and disputes over the issue,” sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Athagarh Biswajit Mohanty said.
Police said Behera was abducted from his residence around 11 pm on May 10 and taken to a nearby forest, where his hands and legs were tied before he was assaulted.
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“He died on the spot. The suspects then took the body deeper into the forest and set it on fire to erase evidence of the crime,” Mohanty said.
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“He died on the spot. The suspects then took the body deeper into the forest and set it on fire to erase evidence of the crime,” Mohanty said.
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Police questioned several villagers, and details of the alleged murder emerged during the interrogation of one of the suspects, identified as Alok Dehuri.
A police team later visited the forest area where the body was allegedly burned and recovered charred bones, skeletal remains and ashes believed to belong to Behera.
Police said the investigation was continuing and more arrests could follow.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
