An elderly couple was burnt alive in Odisha’s Jajpur district by fellow villagers on charges of involvement in black magic.
Villagers of Nimapalli under the Kalinganagar police station limits torched the house of Shaila Balumuch and Basanti Balumuch. Villagers held them responsible for at least six deaths. However, relatives said the deceased were not on good terms with the villagers for which they were accused of practising sorcery.
“Bodies have been seized. Police teams are looking into all aspects of the murder,” said Jajpur Superintendent of Police Charan Singh Meena.
Witch held
Meanwhile, a witch doctor was arrested in Malkangiri district for thrashing and branding a woman in the garb of treatment. A woman, identified as Lipika Orao of MV-6 village, had not been in good health. A witch doctor was invited to find out the reason for her illness. Stating that an evil spirit was creating all sorts of trouble, the witch doctor thrashed the woman and branded her. She was also fed pig excreta.
An Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker intervened and took the victim to hospital.
25 murders
According to Debendra Sutar, a rationalist who has been keeping track of sorcery-related violence and spreading awareness against blind beliefs, 25 murders had already been committed this year. Since 2015, 288 murders had taken place in different villages across Odisha.
“Villagers resort to extreme steps due to deep-rooted superstitions. We have found that people, mostly tribals, do not even spare their family members if they start suspecting their role in deaths and ill-health,” said Mr. Sutar.
The rationalist said those who kill people by accusing their involvement in sorcery receive a hero’s welcome upon their release from jail and it emboldens the perpetrators of the crime.
“If a single woman refuses to entertain sexual favour sought by an influential person in a village, then she is gradually targeted. And she is subsequently branded as a witch. In some cases, criminals eliminate people after accusing them of being involved in black magic to grab their property,” said Mr. Sutar.
