Villager killed over witchcraft suspicion in Odisha’s Kandhamal

Police on Saturday arrested four persons on the charges of murdering a man over suspicion of practicing sorcery and past enmity in Kandhamal district. 

The accused persons have been identified as Bindu Pradhan, Puna Pradhan, Tunia Pradhan and Guni Pradhan of Gerengakia village of Budaguda panchayat under Baliguda Police Limits. Police arrested them for killing Paul Pradhan of the same Gerengakia village. 

According to the police, the villagers were celebrating ‘Podha Jatra’ on March 14. In the evening, Bindu, Puna, Tunia and Guni visited Paul’s house and called him out on the pretext of partaking of a mutton feast. 

They took him to a secluded place near their village and killed him by bludgeoning his head with a stone. Police recovered the body two days after the crime and then launched a probe. During the investigation, they zeroed in on the quartet. 

All the accused persons have been produced in court.