DHENKANAL: A 63-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by a youth in Pitaldhua tribal village under Kankadahad police station over suspicions of practising sorcery on Saturday.
The incident occurred around 9.30 am when the accused, Damodar Purty allegedly shot an arrow at Sindhi Sinku who was sitting outside her house.
According to police, Purty, a distant relative of the victim, had been suffering from a prolonged illness which he believed was caused by Sinku’s alleged sorcery practices. In a fit of rage, he reportedly attacked her with a bow and arrow, fatally wounding her in the chest.
Despite villagers calling for medical assistance, the ambulance’s delayed arrival at the remote location proved fatal for Sinku. Kamakhyanagar DSP Gyana Ranjan Mishra and Kankadahad IIC Kalpana Behera, along with a scientific team reached the scene to investigate.
“We immediately responded to reports of the arrow attack and found the woman deceased. The body was sent for postmortem”, said DSP Mishra. The accused has been detained for interrogation and will be produced in court soon, he added.