BALASORE/PARLAKHEMUNDI: In an inhuman incident, an eight-year-old ailing child was beaten up and made to lick shoes by sorcerers who suspected him of being under the influence of demonic spirits at Raniguda village in Balasore district.
What is shocking is that the boy was taken to them by his parents and the brutality happened in presence of many villagers who recorded the incident on their mobile phones but did not bother to rescue him. The torture stopped only after he fell unconscious unable to bear the thrashing.
The boy belongs to Gabgaon village under Kamarda police limits and the incident took place in Ranigauda village on Wednesday.
The son of Nitai Samal was suffering from fever for the last one week. Nitai, however, did not take him to hospital and instead, resorted to traditional healing methods. When he did not recover, Nitai and his wife took him to sorcerers Ajay Roul and his wife Kamala in Raniguada village.
The sorcerers told them that the boy was under the influence of demonic spirits as a result of which, he was suffering from fever. To drive the spirits out, the sorcerers beat the ailing child with sticks and forced him to lick shoes in public.
Although the boy screamed for help, neither his parents nor villagers came to his rescue. After 30 minutes of torture, the boy fainted.
Receiving information, police rushed to the spot and rescued the minor but the sorcerer couple had fled the village by then.
The boy was admitted to Kamarda health centre. A case has been registered against Ajay and Kamala. Videos of the incident that were recorded by villagers went viral on social media.
In another incident in Gajapati district, an elderly man was killed on the suspicion of practising witchcraft. Headless body of the victim Dasu Mallick of Bhaliasahi under Mohona police limits was found near his agricultural land on outskirts of the village on Wednesday.
Mohana SDPO Ashok Mohanty said Dasu was a traditional healer who used to treat ailing people with herbs and roots. Last year when some villagers fell ill, locals suspected it to be result of sorcery by Dasu and threatened him of dire consequences. Dasu had then filed a police complaint but cops sorted the matter out with a mutual comprise between him and the villagers.
On Tuesday, two persons of nearby Benipadar village reached Bhaliasahi and inquired about Dasu. When Dasu’s family members told them that he was working in his maize field, the two left the village.
However, when Dasu did not return home till late night, his family started looking for him. They found his headless body near the agricultural land.
The victim’s son Paramananda filed a police complaint alleging that his father was killed by the two persons of Benipadar. Police detained four persons and sent the body for a postmortem on Wednesday.
SDPO Mohanty informed that search is on to trace the severed head.