‘Can’t victimise women in name of witchcraft': Supreme Court upholds life sentence of murder convict, slams superstition
The Supreme Court upheld the life sentence of Balku Oram for murdering a woman in 1998, criticizing society’s tendency to blame women in times of fear and grief
The Supreme Court on Thursday said victimisation of women in the name of “witchcraft” reflects a deep-rooted social prejudice that seeks scapegoats rather than solutions, and warned that superstition and irrational fear cannot be allowed to override reason and the rule of law.
Odisha man received life sentence for murdering a woman after accusing her of practising witchcraft. (PTI)
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A bench of justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and NV Anjaria made the observations while upholding the life sentence of an Odisha man convicted of murdering a woman after accusing her of practising witchcraft.
The top court dismissed the appeal filed by Balku Oram, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for killing the woman in 1998. The Odisha High Court had upheld his conviction and sentence, following which he approached the apex court.
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The Supreme Court held that the appeal was devoid of merit and that the state had proved that Oram and his co-accused had brutally assaulted the victim, causing her death. It went a step further and said that the facts of the case had “deeply disturbed the conscience of the Court.”
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The Supreme Court held that the appeal was devoid of merit and that the state had proved that Oram and his co-accused had brutally assaulted the victim, causing her death. It went a step further and said that the facts of the case had “deeply disturbed the conscience of the Court.”
It lamented that practices such as witch craft still persisted in a constitutional democracy like India.
“When faced with fear, grief or an unexplained event, society can find it easier to blame a woman than confront the real cause. Such instinct to find a scapegoat reflected entrenched prejudice across the society,” the court said, stressing that “reason” must replace irrational beliefs that turn vulnerable women into targets of hostility.
Ayesha Arvind is a Senior Assistant Editor specialising in legal and judicial reportage. She covers High Courts and tribunals across southern India, and believes that important legal developments do not only come from New Delhi. Her work focuses on bringing significant decisions and developments from the region to a wider audience and explaining what they mean beyond the courtroom.
She tries to make legal material accessible by translating legal jargon into clear, readable prose and putting pleas, lawsuits, judgments and legal developments in context. She also looks at their political realities and practical consequences for people.
Ayesha is committed to the standards of integrity journalism requires. She places a premium on accuracy and fairness, and believes that journalism's powerful voice must be tempered by humility and a sense of proportion.
Over almost two decades in journalism, she has covered law and order, civil law, crime and other areas of legal affairs. Her work includes breaking news, legal affairs stories, online analysis and commentary.
Ayesha is deeply interested in the law, court judgments and the Constitution because they shape everyday life. She believes every citizen should have a basic understanding of them. What she enjoys most about covering courts is that every story brings something new to learn.
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Home/India News/‘Can’t victimise women in name of witchcraft': Supreme Court upholds life sentence of murder convict, slams superstition
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