Sambalpur: A 50-year old man was beaten to death in a village in Sambalpur district for allegedly practising witchcraft, police said on Wednesday.
The incident at the man’s residence at Dimirikuda village under Kisinda police station took place on Monday.
The accused in the case, a 32-year-old neighbour named Sanjutana Majhi alias Sanju and 48-year-old Raising Parekh were arrested on Tuesday night. They have been produced in court today, Rairakhol sub-divisional police officer P K Meher said.
Shukru Majhi was suspected of practising black magic by his neighbour, who lost his four-year-old son about four years ago. This led to frequent scuffles between them, Meher said.
According to the police complaint filed by Majhi’s wife, four to five persons armed with sticks and an axe barged into their house on Monday night and mercilessly assaulted him.
Majhi’s wife Ratani was working in the backyard of the house and fled in fear and the attackers could not find her. She came back after some time and him lying unconscious, the complaint said.
Subsequently the villagers gathered at the spot and Majhi was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The police later reached the spot and sent the body for autopsy.
The inspector-in-charge (IIC) of Kisinda police station, Anjali Kumbhar said, a case has been registered and further investigation into the matter is underway.
Police said sticks and an axe have been seized from the spot.
