Two beaten to death on suspicion of practising sorcery

Gajapati: Two persons were allegedly beaten to death by the irate people of two villages in Adaba area as the villagers were suspecting the duo of practising sorcery.

Police source said bodies of the victims were burnt in Badeguda village.

While the police have arrested 12 persons, efforts are on to nab the remaining accused involved in the ghastly incident, source added.

The people of Badeguda and Paderama villages under Mohana block had been suspecting Subas Mallick and Pitela Majhi of practising sorcery following the death of some villagers in recent past.

Source said, on May 22, people of Badeguda and Paderama villages had called a sorcerer to identify the sorcerer of their area. The sorcerer performed his Khatavidya formula. When the Khata (wooden cot) was taken on a procession around the village, it halted near the house of Subas, Pitela and another villager, Sami. In a meeting, the villagers asked the trio to pay a fine of Rs 60,000 each for practising sorcery.
When Sami paid the penalty, Subas, Pitela refused to pay the fine. Angry over this a group of villagers beaten the duo to death.

Following a complaint by son of Subas, Adaba police station IIC Anam Lakhra rushed to the village on Monday and collected the bones and ashes from the forest.