In a chilling case of superstition-driven violence, five youths have been arrested for the brutal murder of a man in Kurumpali village under Mathili police limits in Malkangiri district.
The victim, Niranjan Thakur, was allegedly killed over suspicions of practicing witchcraft.
According to police sources, the murder was premeditated. On the night of September 10, the accused—believing Niranjan was responsible for the death of one of their family members through sorcery—conspired to eliminate him. They waited until the village was asleep, cut off electricity from a nearby transformer, and attacked Niranjan while he was sleeping outside his house.
The group reportedly struck him with a sharp weapon (tangia) and later disposed of it in a nearby pond. The investigation revealed that the accused believed Niranjan’s alleged “black magic” posed a threat to their community.
Within a week, Mathili police uncovered the motive and arrested all five suspects. They have been produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.
The incident has sparked renewed concern over the persistence of witchcraft-related violence in tribal regions of Odisha, despite ongoing awareness campaigns.
