Post News Network
Mohana, July 8: In a gruesome incident, irate villagers burnt a man alive over suspected practice of sorcery in Bhaliaguda under Mohana police limits in Gajapati district after severely beating him up late Sunday night, police said Wednesday. The victim was identified as Purna Mallick (45). The matter came to fore after his widow Shisita Mallick lodged a complaint with police Tuesday. Local police registered a case and arrested Jalandhar Mallick and Kalia Mallick in this connection. The accused will be produced in a court Thursday, Mohana police station IIC Prasant Bhupati said.
The police also visited the spot and seized the charred remains of the body besides sending it for forensic examination. Another accused Santosh Mallick is absconding. The incident is the fallout of a spate of deaths that took place in the village over the last three years. The villagers were of the opinion that the deaths were caused by Purna’s practice of sorcery, though the people died of various diseases. All the three accused were lodged in jail in 2012 following their arrest in connection with the Bhaliaguda Maoist encounter.
After their release, they came to know about Purna’s involvement in the deaths from co-villagers.
In the meanwhile, two other villagers, Satya Mallick and Suresh Mallick, also were affected by a disease. This time also, their ailment was attributed to Purna’s sorcery. The villagers ganged up and asked Purna to cure the two but he refused to listen to them denying his involvement in the incident. On the fateful day, the three accused went to Purna’s house and asked him to come with them for a meeting on the issue. As he refused again, the three beat him up with wooden planks and lathis rendering him unconscious. Later they dragged him to a tree 200 metre away from his house and burnt him alive.