Malkangiri: A local court here Thursday sentenced five persons to life imprisonment in connection with a murder over suspected witchcraft and sorcery in 2020.
District and Sessions Judge Prasanna Kumar Panda pronounced the verdict after examining the statements recorded by 10 witnesses.
Those convicted are Labakush Kunteri, Somanath Jal, Shukla Jal, Shankar Majhi, and Mangu Majhi; all residents of Gunthabeda village under Motu police limits.
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The case was prosecuted by government lawyer Jogen Raika.
According to the case diary, in February 2020, the five accused tied Manguli Kunteri and her husband, Mukunda Kunter,i to a tamarind tree near their village and held a community trial over allegations of witchcraft.
They reportedly beat the couple and freed them. Two days later, they held another meeting and took the couple to a nearby forest.
There, in front of Manguli, the accused doused her husband, Mukunda, in kerosene and set him ablaze.
Manguli later informed her son Manik about the incident, following which the mother-son duo lodged a complaint with the Motu police.
A case (55/2020) was registered, and the accused were arrested and produced in the court.
PNN
