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Tribal couple in Odisha’s Malkangiri hacked to death over witchcraft allegations
There have been a number of killings in Odisha due over witchcraft allegations even though the government had enacted the ‘Odisha Prevention of Witch-hunting Act, 2013’ six years ago to tackle the issue.
A tribal couple in Odisha’s Malkangiri district was hacked to death allegedly on Friday on the suspicion that it practised black magic that was causing diseases among their neighbours, police said.
Sama Madi, 45, and his 42-year-old wife Sukuri Madi of Pendalguda were found lying in a pool of blood when the police reached the village.
“The couple was most likely hacked to death by their neighbour. We have arrested two people in this connection and the hunt is on for more suspects,” said Malkangiri SP Khilari Rishikesh. The officer added that the bodies had been sent for post-mortem.
According to police, the murdered couple were blamed by one of their neighbours for a medical condition that he and his wife were suffering from and for the death of the neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter last year.
There have been a number of killings in the state due to witch-hunting even though the government had enacted the ‘Odisha Prevention of Witch-hunting Act, 2013’ six years ago to tackle the issue. The legislation aims at prohibiting witch-hunting and other similar practices.
Last week, three people including a woman, were hacked to death and two others were assaulted over suspicions of practising black magic in three districts of the state. A 30-year-old man beheaded a woman in Mayurbhanj district before walking into the police station with the severed head and in Rayagada district, a man hacked two elderly people to death.
In another incident, a woman in Nayagarh district was molested in a kangaroo court while her husband was forced to put his hand in a can of boiling water as they were suspected of practising witchcraft.
A 14-year-old boy in Malkangiri district was allegedly killed by a group of people earlier this month on the suspicion that he practised black magic that led to the death of 17 tribals over three months.
Concerned at the rising number of witchcraft-related killings, state officials said an awareness campaign would soon be started in the district with the distribution of leaflets.
