BERHAMPUR: Three youths were arrested on charges of murdering a 35-year-old man whose half-burnt body was recovered from Chunaghati forest in Tikabali area of Kandhamal district, police said on Friday.
Addressing mediapersons, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of G Udayagiri Bijay Kumar Bisi said accused Prakash Hans (21), Mukesh Hans (25) and Jitendra Guru (23) murdered Duryodhan Bagrti of Khaliberna village in Khajuripada on suspicion of witchcraft.
Police said Duryodhan was known in the village as a witchcraft practitioner. Prakash’s brother died due to some ailment about seven months ago. The accused suspected that Duryodhan had killed his brother by witchcraft and was looking for an opportunity to take revenge.
On December 4, Duryodhan was out to buy chicken when the three accused allegedly attacked him with lathis on Khaliberna PWD road. After the victim became unconscious, they took him to Chunaghati forest on a bike. To destroy evidence, the trio smashed Duryodhan’s head with a big stone, poured petrol on his body and set it afire, said police.
On Thursday, some locals spotted the victim’s half-burnt body in the forest. On being informed, Tikabali police reached the spot and seized the body which was later identified to be that of Duryodhan.
Bisi said while Prakash and Mukesh are of Khaliberna, Jitendra hails from Nagirigudari village under Keenjhar panchayat. The trio was nabbed from different places and taken to Chunaghati forest for crime scene recreation. They were booked under sections 103 (1), 3 (9), 3 and 4 of the BNS and produced in court.