Jajpur: An engineer has been arrested in Jajpur district for allegedly attempting to murder an elderly man over suspicion that he practiced sorcery, police said Thursday.
Twenty-five-year-old Sudhanshu Mohanta was suffering from stomach-related ailments over the past couple of months. The diploma engineer suspected that he often fell ill due to sorcery practiced by fellow villager, 63-year-old Narayan Mohanta, a police officer said.
The youth had recently attacked the elderly with a sharp-edged weapon when the latter had taken his goats for grazing near Chatikipasi village in Kaliapani police station area, he said, adding that the accused fled the spot anticipating that the elderly had succumbed to his injuries.
The elderly man later regained consciousness and returned home. He was admitted to a local hospital and then shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where his condition is stated to be critical, the officer said.
Based on a police complaint, a case was registered and the accused arrested Wednesday, Kaliapani police station inspector Ramakanta Muduli said, adding he was produced before a court, which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.