Man ‘lynched and buried’ in Odisha village over sorcery suspicion

A man was allegedly lynched and buried by villagers in Kusumpur under Mohana police limits in Gajapati district on suspicion of sorcery on Wednesday. The deceased has been identified as Karunakar Dalai. 

Following the death of a child from the same village, some locals accused Karunakar of performing sorcery and held him responsible for the death. 

Victim Allegedly Physically Assaulted Before Death

According to his family, a group of villagers came to his house at around 6 pm on July 28 and took him away. They kept him at the local Anganwadi centre for two nights, where he was allegedly beaten up. After releasing him once, the group reportedly took him away again. 

His sister-in-law, Sabita Dalei, said, “Some people came and called him around 6 pm and took him with them. I don’t know what they did to him in that period. They kept him at the Anganwadi Kendra for two nights and released him, but later they took him again. When I asked about him, they admitted to having beaten him. I want them to face the same suffering they inflicted on my brother.”

Burial After Death

The family alleged that Karunakar died as a result of the assault and was buried by those involved. However, the exact location of the burial remains unclear.

Police Initiated Investigation

Police did not comment on record but confirmed that an investigation has been initiated. Till the last report came in, eight people were picked up by the cops for questioning. 

Details regarding how he was killed and where he was buried are yet to be ascertained.