A local court in Odisha’s Sundargarh district on Friday sentenced 11 men to life, who had killed a woman over suspicion of practicing witchcraft.
The incident occurred in Ratakhandi village under Biramitrapur police station limit in Sundargarh district on March 3, 2018. One Jasoda Singh was beaten to death by her fellow villagers while victim’s husband Fagu Singh and Kamlesh had escaped with grave injuries.
According to police, villagers used to accuse Jasoda of performing witchcraft. On the fateful day, villagers ganged up and attacked the woman with baton, stone and iron rods. The woman died on the spot.
Adjudicating the matter, V. Sujatha, Additional Session Judge of Rourkela, convicted 14 persons for the murder committed in Ratakhandi village. She pronounced the judgment in open court saying since 11 convicts (all men) killed the woman in brutal manner, they were sentenced to undergo life imprisonment.
These convicts were also penalised under different sections of IPC and Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act 2013. Three women who was convicted under Section 147 of IPC and 4 (2) of Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act 2013 were sentenced to undergo two years of imprisonment. Sundargarh Public prosecutor Abdul Shamim Akhtar and Rourkela Additional Public Prosecutor Swaraup Ranjan Rath argued on behalf of the victims.
The judgment came a day after arrest of 33 persons including 20 women who were accused of killing a woman in similar fashion in Madhurjhola village in Ganjam district. The victim, Jhunu Nahak, was killed after her husband Judhisthir Nahak was branded as a sorcerer.
An uneasy calm prevailed in Madhurjhola village as the Ganjam district police were looking for more people in the case. In a preplanned murder, villagers kept police, who had gone to rescue victims, busy in reconciliation while another group killed the woman. According to district police, more arrests are likely to be made in the case.
Published - October 29, 2022 08:58 am IST
