Witchcraft killing in Mohana: 7 arrested

Mohana: Seven persons were arrested by local police on Thursday on charges of murdering a man of Talasingh village under Mohana block in Gajapati district on suspicion of practicing witchcraft.

Police sources said the arrested persons have confessed to killing and later burning the victim.

The investigating team has collected soil samples from the place where the murder took place as well as ashes from the location where the body was burnt.

Tabatia Malika was called from his house by six youths of the village on December 18 and mercilessly thrashed before being attacked with sharp weapons by the accused, leading to his death on the spot.

To destroy the evidence, the accused took the body to the nearby hills and burnt it there.

On Wednesday, the police had detained six persons for their alleged involvement in the crime.