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Elderly couple burnt to death in another witch-hunt in Odisha
Villagers suspected the couple of practising witchcraft after about half a dozen people of Nimapali died due to different causes over the last two weeks.
An elderly couple was burnt to death in their sleep on suspicion of practising witchcraft while a witch doctor allegedly branded a woman’s face with hot iron and forced her to eat pig’s excreta to cure her of an ailment in Odisha on Sunday, police said.
In Nimapali village of Jajpur district, miscreants set fire to the house of an elderly couple - Shaila and Basanti - Balumuch late Sunday night when they were sleeping in their home. Villagers suspected the couple of practising witchcraft after about half a dozen people of Nimapali died due to different causes over the last two weeks. The couple was killed in the blaze.
Tipu Buliuli, brother-in-law of Basanti said they were not on good terms with other villagers over some reasons. “The villagers used to falsely accuse them of practicing witchcraft,” said Buliuli.
Jajpur’s Superintendent of Police Charan Singh Meena said the circumstances under which the couple died are being ascertained. “We have seized the burnt bodies of the couple and sent them to the hospital for postmortem. We are looking into the allegation of the couple being killed over suspicion of sorcery,” he said.
This is second such witchcraft-related murder in Jajpur district this month. A few days ago, a woman was also murdered on suspicion of practicing witchcraft.
In another incident on Sunday, a woman was admitted to the district headquarters hospital in Malkangiri with burn injuries on her face after a witchdoctor branded her face with hot iron to cast off an evil spirit.
Lipika Orao, a resident of MV-6 village under Malkangiri block in the district had been sick for about a week following which locals suspected that she was possessed by an evil spirit. They called for a witch doctor who thrashed the woman, branded her face with hot iron and fed her pig excreta as part of the treatment. The women’s condition turned serious after which they called an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker.
ASHA worker Laxmi Munda who admitted the victim to the Malkangiri district headquarters hospital said Orao’s condition was critical.
“She was already sick before the witch doctor applied his bizarre treatment. The feeding of excreta and beating has turned her health condition critical,” said Munda.
The witch doctor is said to be a relative of the woman.
“The witch doctor has been arrested,” Malkangiri’s Superintendent of Police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said.
