RAYAGADA: Four persons of Relipadar village under Chandili police limits, 27 km from Rayagada town, were arrested on Saturday for assaulting a person on the suspicion of practising sorcery.
They are Rajarao Huika, Nageswar Huika, Purna Chandra Huika and Ratana Huika. On Thursday night, they had severely assaulted 40-year-old Paramananda Huika after accusing him of killing two persons with the help of witchcraft. The four were forwarded to court that remanded them in judicial custody.
Two villagers - Ramesh Huika and Pabitra Huika - had died last month under mysterious circumstances. Locals suspected Paramananda of killing them through sorcery. Villagers said after Paramananda’s father Seetanna, a sorcerer, died, he had taken over the practice. When the victim refuted the allegation, villagers threatened him of dire consequences. On Thursday night, the accused dragged Paramananda from his house and took him to a forest nearby where they assaulted him till he fell unconscious. Thinking that he was dead, the villagers sat under a tree to take rest when Paramananda’s wife, Lalita dragged him away to another spot. A few minutes later, when Paramananda gained consciousness, the couple walked for four kms to reach the main road and took an auto-rickshaw to reach Rayagada late in the night.