Odisha: 11 sentenced to life for tribal woman’s murder over witchcraft suspicion

A sessions court in Sundargarh district of Odisha on Friday sentenced 11 men to life imprisonment, four years after they killed a 50-year-old tribal woman over suspicion that she was practising witchcraft and casting evil spell on the village.

Additional district judge-1, V Sujatha also sentenced three other women to two years of rigorous imprisonment over their role in the murder.

Fifty-year-old Jasoda Singh of Ratakhandi village under Biramitrapur police station area of Sundargarh district was killed on the night of March 2, 2018. At least 15 persons of the village, armed with sickle, axe and other sharp weapons, reached the house of her husband Fagu Singh around 10pm.

They called Fagu and asked him to send his wife Jasoda out as they suspected her to be a witch and the cause of all diseases in the village. They suspected her to have the power to change the sex of a child in the womb of the mother which they believed was a cause for several women in the village giving birth to girl child.

The mob dragged Jasoda and kept on assaulting her with sharp weapons till she died. Fagu and his son Kamalesh were also injured in the attack. The daughter of Jasoda, who had come to celebrate Holi with the family, lodged a first information report (FIR) against the accused.

Another woman killed over suspicion of sorcery

Meanwhile, an uneasy calm prevailed in Madhurajhola village under Kabisuryanagar block of Ganjam district on Friday, a day after a 55-year-old woman was killed after she informed the police about locals beating her husband over suspicions of sorcery.

Jhunu Nahak, wife of Judhisthir Nahak, was found dead in her house on Thursday morning, hours after she was assaulted by the womenfolk of the village who were enraged over her informing the police regarding the assault on her husband. So far, 33 persons, including 20 women, have been arrested over their role in the murder.

Ganjam superintendent of police Vivek Saravana said the police may arrest more people as several others are believed to have been involved in the case. “We are investigating it with full seriousness and no one involved in the heinous incident will be spared,” he said.

Recounting the chain of events that led to the murder of Jhunu, her sons, Jogeswar and Sagar, said their father was attacked by villagers on Tuesday after a woman of the village claimed that he and three others were casting evil spell, which was the reason for the death of five children in the area.

“My father received head injuries due to the assault and lodged a complaint against a youth named Gudu Nahak at the local police outpost. On Wednesday, police called the youth for interrogation which triggered tension in the village. My father then quietly left the village. The villagers then got hold of two other persons who they suspected to be practising witchcraft and started beating them. Some men and several womenfolk then entered our home and attacked us. My brother and I fled leaving our mother,” said Sagar.

While the two fled the village, Jhunu’s husband reached Kabisuryanagar police outpost and informed them about the mob attacking his home. But when the police tried to reach the village, the people blocked the approach roads with wooden logs. “The villagers pelted stones at police while women armed with sharp weapons did not allow the cops to enter. Police could somehow reach the village at 2.30am and managed to persuade the people to allow them entry. A couple of hours later, we found Judhisthir Nahak’s wife lying dead in her house,” said a police inspector who faced the mob fury for over 6 hours. “It was a pre-meditated attack and the mob was baying for blood of the family,” said the official.