A 74-year-old man was allegedly murdered by three youths in Manasthara village under Lanjigarh block of Kalahandi district on suspicion of witchcraft.
The deceased has been identified as Ekuna Majhi.
The accused—Naresh Majhi (26), Chakra Majhi (22), and Murali Majhi (28)—have been arrested and produced in court by Biswanathpur police. Their bail applications were rejected, and they have been remanded to judicial custody.
Ekuna Majhi had been missing since August 28. His son, Mangala Majhi, filed a missing person report at Biswanathpur police station the same day. On August 31, a police team led by SDPO Kesinga Sandeep Majhi and Lanjigarh IIC Jitendra Biswal launched an investigation in Manasthara village.
Four days later, the mystery surrounding Ekuna’s disappearance was unraveled. The police discovered that the three accused had allegedly murdered him and hung his body from a tree in a nearby forest. The motive, according to investigators, was rooted in suspicion that the elderly man was practicing black magic.
On Sunday evening, the police recovered the body and detained the suspects. After conducting a postmortem on Monday, the body was handed over to the family. A case has been registered under Biswanathpur PS Case No. 57/25, and the accused have been formally charged.
Biswanathpur IIC Tulsiram Sabar confirmed the arrests and court proceedings, stating that the investigation is ongoing and further action will be taken as per law.
