A 30-year-old man was allegedly dragged from his home, beaten to death and burnt in a forest by villagers in Odisha’s Cuttack district on suspicion of practising black magic. The incident took place on May 10 at Talamunduli village during Chandan Yatra celebrations. Police arrested 25 accused after the victim’s father filed a complaint.
A horrifying case of mob violence has come to light from Odisha's Cuttack district, where a 30-year-old man was allegedly dragged out of his house, beaten to death on suspicion of practising black magic and later burnt in a forest to destroy evidence. Police said 25 people have been arrested so far in connection with the brutal killing that took place at Talamunduli village under Maniabandha police station limits. The incident happened on May 10 during the Chandan Yatra celebrations, but it came to light only after the victim’s father filed a formal complaint with police. The deceased was identified as Tikam Behera, son of Sweta Behera.
Victim dragged from house by villagers
According to the complaint filed by the victim’s father, villagers believed Tikam Behera was practising sorcery and blamed him for illnesses and problems faced by several families in the village.
Sweta Behera told police that his son had been staying with his brother and sister-in-law at Talamunduli village after his wife left him around seven years ago, as reported by Ommcomm News.
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On the night of May 10, at around 11 pm, a group of villagers allegedly dragged Tikam out of the house. Police sources said the accused first held a village meeting where they discussed the allegations against him.
The mob then allegedly assaulted Tikam severely. He later died from the beating.
Body allegedly burnt in forest to hide crime
After the killing, the accused allegedly carried Tikam’s body deep into a nearby forest and set it on fire to erase evidence. Police later recovered partially burnt remains, bones and other evidence from the forest area during the investigation.
Officials said the recovery of the remains became an important breakthrough in the case. The crime shocked the entire region because of the brutal way the murder was allegedly carried out.
Police arrest 25 accused
Cuttack (Rural) Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal said police arrested 25 men from the village after launching a major operation.
He said three separate police teams were formed under the leadership of Athagarh SDPO Biswajit Mohanty to investigate the case.
According to police, one of the accused confessed to the crime during questioning, helping investigators uncover details of the murder.
Police also said several other accused are still absconding. Reports suggest many villagers fled after the arrests, leaving parts of the village nearly deserted.
Scientific team examined crime scene
The SP informed reporters that a scientific investigation team carefully examined the crime scene.
Physical samples and several other materials were collected and sent for forensic examination to gather more evidence.
Police said the first breakthrough came after the arrest of accused Alok Dehuri, who allegedly shared important information during interrogation.
Families of accused gather at police station
On Tuesday morning, women from the families of the arrested accused reached Maniabandha police station hoping to meet their relatives.
However, police informed them that the accused had been shifted to Badamba. The women were then asked to leave, which created tension in the area for some time.
Despite awareness campaigns and strict laws, cases linked to witchcraft and sorcery accusations continue to surface in several parts of India.
Police said the investigation is continuing and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining accused involved in the killing.
(With inputs from agencies)
