BHAWANIPATNA: Three witchcraft-related murders in tribal-dominated Lanjigarh block in the last one month have put Kalahandi police on their toes.
In the latest incident, a 40-year-old man of Merangpadar village within Biswanathpur police limits was reportedly killed over sorcery suspicion on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Sandu Majhi.
Sources said Majhi had gone to nearby Khajurguda village to repair his bicycle. When he did not return home till late in the night, his wife filed a missing complaint in Biswanathpur police station.
Basing on the complaint, police registered a case and launched an investigation with the help of scientific team and sniffer dog. On Thursday, Majhi’s injury-ridden body was found buried in a nearby forest. Subsequently, police arrested Ghuruna Majhi (53), Kushma Majhi (35), Sahu Majhi (38), Laxman Majhi (39) and Raju Majhi (32) of Merangpadar for their alleged involvement in the crime.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to stabbing Majhi to death with a knife as they suspected him of practising witchcraft, and burying his body in the forest. Police later recovered the weapon of offence.
Earlier, two similar sorcery-related murder cases were reported from Kandama and Manastara villages under Biswanathpur police limits in Lanjigarh block.
Biswanathpur IIC Tulsiram Sabar attributed the rise in such crimes to ignorance and lack of awareness in rural areas. Police will launch intensive awareness campaigns to curb witchcraft-related killings in the region, he added.