Sundargarh woman killed over witchcraft

ROURKELA: In an attack by a group of 15 persons, a sixty-year-old woman was killed and her husband and son were injured critically on Friday evening at Ratakhandi village under Kuanrmunda police outpost in Sundargarh district. The woman was attacked by the group of villagers for allegedly practising witchcraft. Kuanrmunda police have registered a case and started investigation but the accused have absconded.
According to police, at 8,30pm the group from Ratakhandi village, armed with weapons like iron rod, bhujalis and wooden sticks, barged into the house of Phagu Singh, 65, and attacked his wife Jasoda Singh. They suspected that witchcraft by Jasoda has been putting the locals' life in danger. While the agitated locals launched a brutal attack on Jasoda, her husband Phagu and son Kailash, 30, tried to rescue her. But, the agitated locals also launched an attack on the male duo.

While all three members of the family were lying in a pool of blood, no one from the village came to their rescue. Banita, daughter of Jasoda, who has got married in a neighbouring village, reached the spot after coming to know about the development and took all three injured to Rourkela government hospital (RGH). Jasoda was declared brought-dead at RGH. Her husband and son were admitted in a critical condition.

"A group of residents of our village in the past had also alleged my mother of practising witchcraft. My mother finally lost her life in their attack," Banita added.

On the complaint of Banita, Kuanrmunda police started investigation. "We will nab all the accused," said Manoj Nayak, OIC, Kuanrmunda police outpost.