BARIPADA: Chamabati Tudu, a 75 year-old woman of Podagad village under Matigad GP within Jashipur police limits in Mayurbhanj district, was allegedly stoned to death on suspicion of practising witchcraft.
The matter came to light on Friday morning after her family found a severely injured and profusely bleeding Champabati lying in front of her house. By then, she was dead.
Karanjia SDPO Sudarshan Gangi said that he along with a team of police from Jashipur rushed to the spot to investigate the matter. A scientific team from police headquarters also rushed to spot.
As per preliminary investigation, Gangi said, the crime was committed on Thursday late night. The woman along with her two granddaughters and grandson were sleeping when some miscreants opened the door to lift the woman outside the house.
Her son and daughter in-law were sleeping in another room located in the back side of her house. "The woman must have been stoned as her injuries suggest and that might have led to her death," said the SDPO.
Based on the complaint of Hambira Hembram, the woman’s son, a case has been registered under Section 302 and 457 of the IPC. It is suspected that the miscreants must have done the dastardly act suspecting her of practising witchcraft, the SDPO said. Investigation is underway and the body has been sent to hospital for postmortem.