Post News Network
Phulbani, August 6: Hardly have two days passed since a tantrik in Jajpur district was handed down a death penalty for sacrificing an eight-year old boy when a minor girl of Arapaju village under Khajuripada police limits in this district was kidnapped for sacrifice. She was kept hungry with her hands tied for four days inside a forest.
The girl Thursday narrated her ordeal before the media on the premises of Child Line office here, saying she had lost her speech under the influence of ‘tantra’. Though the police registered a missing case on the complaint lodged by the victim’s father, no arrest has been made in this regard so far, sources said.
According to the victim’s accounts, her aunt Binodini Bindhani called her July 28 to come to former’s residence. The girl also stayed there the next night. However, Binodini didn’t bolt the door from inside that night. Suddenly, the girl spotted Chitta, a sorcerer of Dasapalla area, who worked as a mason in the village, in the room.
He made her smell a flower and took her to a mango orchard near the village. Though, she tried to raise an alarm, she couldn’t due to the impact of the strong odour of the flower, the girl said, adding, Bulu Behera of the village was helping the sorcerer.
Describing her traumatic experience, the girl further said, the two lifted her to a place inside the forest. Worse, they tied her hands and put a tarpaulin on her head to guard against rain. She was not even provided with a drop of water, the girl said.
Every night, Chitta and Bulu used to visit her in the forest and talked about the proposed sacrifice. Despite being aware of the fact that she is going to be sacrificed, she couldn’t utter a word, the girl told the media.
Sorcerer Chitta August 1 came to know that her father had lodged a complaint with police over her missing from the village. Fearing arrest, the duo decided to release her. Accordingly, they abandoned her on the terrace of Rabindra Pradhan of the village. Rabindra’s elder daughter traced her the next day and informed her father.
The family members rescued the girl and took her to Khajuripada CHC. She was later shifted to the district headquarters hospital as her condition didn’t improve. She regained her speech Thursday only, the girl said. Child Line officials produced the girl before the child welfare committee. Later, she was handed over to the family after counselling, sources said.
