BARIPADA: An elderly tribal woman was killed by a youth on witchcraft suspicion at Kumbhirda village in Bahalada area of Mayurbhanj district, police said on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as 62-year-old Jaba Tudu. The accused, 28 year-old Jugu Marandi, has been arrested. The crime took place on Friday night.
Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Rairangpur Birendra Senapati said the accused and his wife were having health issues for the last several years. Jugu suspected that Jaba was practising sorcery which led to their ailments. He was waiting for an opportunity to eliminate the elderly woman who was unmarried and lived alone in her house.
On Friday night, Jaba went to sleep after dinner, following which the accused entered her house. He reportedly slit her throat with a knife and fled the spot. The next morning, neighbours became suspicious when Jaba did not come out of her house. On peeping through the window, they found the woman lying dead in a pool of blood inside the house.
On being informed, the SDPO along with a team from Bahalda police station reached the spot and seized the body for postmortem. During investigation, police came to know that Jugu reportedly committed the crime. Subsequently, he was arrested.
The SDPO said during interrogation, the accused revealed that he and his wife frequently fell ill for the last 10 years. He blamed Jaba for their health ailments and allegedly killed her. The knife used in the murder was also seized from him.
On basis of the complaint lodged by the brother of the deceased woman, police registered a case under section 103(1) of BNS and section 4 of the Odisha Prevention of Witch-hunting Act. The accused was arrested on Saturday and produced in court.