Couple murdered for ‘practising witchcraft’ in Balangir

Balangir: A couple was allegedly murdered on the suspicion of practising sorcery in Balangir’s Chitikmal village under Larambha police station limits on Sunday night.
The deceased were identified by police as Chintamani Bariha (50) and his wife Rukmani (45). Their bodies were found in a sack inside a cave in a forest near the village on Monday. They bore injury marks on the faces and heads and their left hands were broken, police said.
Balangir SP Sandip Sampat said, “We have detained four persons.” The couple’s son-in-law, Bibek Bariha of Baghjharan, who was with them on the day of the alleged murder, is on the run.
Binod Bihari Nayak, inspector-in-charge of Larambha police station, said the deceased — who used to live in the village with their son and daughter-in-law — had been accused of performing black magic on Chintamani’s two-year-old nephew (brother’s son). The nephew had fallen ill a few days ago and had died while being taken to hospital. The parents of the child had accused the couple of performing black magic on him and both families had filed police cases against each other.
“On Sunday, the Barihas were in the house with their son in-law, who was visiting. Their son and daughter-in-law had gone to Balangir town, while their daughter was in Baghjharan. We are yet to find out how the couple ended up dead in a sack,” inspector Nayak said.
He also said no villager was keen to help them bring back the bodies. “The whole village was deserted when we went there. On the basis of prima facie evidence and the series of events that took place before the incident, it seems to be a case of murder over suspicion of practising black magic,” said Nayak.