Kendrapara: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Chief Secretary and Odisha police DGP to invoke coercive process u/s 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 while issuing a reminder to submit their reply over sorcery and witchcraft incidents in Odisha.
Adjudicating a case filed by Supreme Court Lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC passed the order.
Tripathy had alleged that the victims include a woman and her four minor children, whose bodies were found dumped in a well at Sundargarh. The complainant also cited various other incidents of witchcrafts in Odisha. He alleged even with the Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act, 2013 the authorities have failed to prevent sorcery deaths from taking place.
In response to a notice issued by the NHRC to the Chief Secretary and DGP, a report from Malkangiri SP said earlier that the deceased, Ganga and the accused are relatives. The deceased was a priest in the village. The accused was performing some puja when she sent four girls to call the deceased to perform the final puja. However, when the main victim reached, the accused started assaulting her with a wooden plank, which ultimately led to her death. The accused was arrested and chargesheet was filed. During the trial, as no cogent evidence was available against the accused, she was acquitted of the murder charges. The report states that in 2019, three cases have been registered in Malkangiri; out of which chargesheet in one of the cases has been filed and the other two are pending investigation.
In another case, a report submitted by SP, Rourkela, said deceased Mangiri Munda was taken as a wife by her brother-in-law (Sudam Munda) after the death of her husband. However, the daughter of the first wife of Sudam Munda died owing to illness and later she took Mangiri Munda and her children to be evils for their family. Thus, in conspiracy, the accused persons entered the house in absence of Sudam Munda and murdered Mangiri Munda and her four minor children and dumped their bodies in well. During the course of investigation, the dead bodies were retrieved and the accused persons were arrested. The matter is stated to be pending investigation. In another case, arrests were made and the accused persons were arrested and produced before the Executive Magistrate. The report states that adequate actions are being taken to prevent witch hunt.
In his rejoinder, Tripathy stated that the first case January 25, 2019, in Bada Indupur under Koira Police Station, Sundargarh district of Odisha: five members including woman and minor children were killed by the accused villagers on suspicion of sorcery. February 28, 2019, in Kamarposh village under K Bolang Police Station, Sundargarh district another woman was murdered by the accused villagers on suspicion of sorcery.
Despite the existence of the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2013, many women were branded as a witch and thereafter they as well as their family members had been subjected to various kind of atrocities and tortures, including physical (rape, killings and disfiguring their body parts), mental and economic harm. In the present case, even though two Cases have been registered but no Compensation has been paid to the bereaved family members of the deceased under PHR Act, 1993 or Victim Compensation Scheme.
The failure of the state government to act on the issue and check the practice of sorcery and witchcraft amounts to serious violation of human rights, Tripathy pointed out.