MAYURBHANJ: The slur of sorcery refusing to go away, a 60-year-old tribal man’s family continues to be socially ostracised in his village under Bangiriposhi police limits of Mayurbhanj district for months. This, despite a police case in November last year which has resulted in no arrest so far.
All of this started after head of the household Sundar Mohan Majhi’s failure to pay Rs 25,000 as fine imposed last year by a kangaroo court of Dorakantia village under Dighi gram panchayat of Bangiriposi.
Last year, the residents of Dorakantia village imposed a Rs 25,000 fine on Majhi after a witch-doctor branded him as a sorcerer. A meeting was held where the 60-year-old denied carrying out any such practice but the locals were in no mood to believe and insisted he paid the penalty failing which he would be socially boycotted.
Majhi stuck to his ground but things escalated when his wife Sakramani Majhi died on October 23 and villagers decided against permission for cremation if he did not pay the fine. When the news spread, a social organisation helped Majhi with the funeral rites of his wife but only after it was delayed for more than 30 hours by the locals.
Subsequently, the boycotted family was denied access to drinking water from government wells, grazing rights for their cattle and other social rights. Relatives attempting to assist them were allegedly attacked and driven away while paddy crops over 5 acre land were destroyed entirely.
On November 6, Bangiriposi police registered a case under section 301, 302, 351(2) BNS against some villagers who tortured the family. Police also invoked the witch-hunting law based on the complaint of Majhi but not a single accused was arrested. Rather, the family was continued to be boycotted.
Majhi’s tryst with the accusations dates 18 years back when some people in the village died of chickenpox and a witch-doctor blamed him for the deaths.
Meanwhile, social workers Narayan Murmu, Jitendra Nath Hembram and Bahadur Murmu met additional district magistrate Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak requesting justice for the ostracised family. They also urged the district administration to ensure daily water supply is provided to the boycotted family besides security. ADM Nayak has assured to look into the matter at the earliest.