6 held in Sundargarh dist for killing 5 members of family

Rourkela: Police on Sunday arrested six persons on charges of killing five members of a family, including four children, on suspicion that they were practising black magic. The children — aged 10 months to 12 years — and their 30-year-old mother were killed with pry bars and dumped into an abandoned well near their home at Indupur village, under Koira police station limits of Sundargarh district, on Friday evening.
The accused included five members of a family and a tantrik, who is believed to have instigated the others into committing the murders. The arrested were identified as brothers Kisri Munda, Salu Munda, Dagam Munda, Debra Munda (brother-in-law of the three), Motu Munda (a relative) and Budram Munda (tantrik). The victims and the accused live in the same village.

Koira police said Debra and his wife had been having a fight with the victim’s family ever since the couple’s first child died due to an ailment some months back, while their second child too was unwell. Instigated by Budram, they blamed Mangli Munda, the 30-year-old victim, and her family for their daughter’s death.

Sources said, Mangli was married to Tangru Munda for 13 years and they had two sons — Tikel Munda (7) and Chamara Munda (5) — and a 12-year-old daughter Maro Munda.