Badamba/Maniabandha: A 30-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death and his body set on fire in a forest near Talamunduli village under Maniabandha police limits in Cuttack district over suspected sorcery and witchcraft practice, police said Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Tikam Behera of Shabar Sahi in Talamunduli village. Though the exact motive behind the killing is yet to be established, police suspect the incident could be linked to allegations of sorcery and witchcraft-related practices in the area.
The incident reportedly took place around 10 days ago. Following a complaint lodged by the deceased’s father, Maniabandha police registered a case-93/26 and launched an investigation. During the investigation, police arrested 25 men in connection with the case.
They were remanded to judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected Tuesday. Addressing a press conference, Cuttack Rural SP Vinit Agrawal said further investigation was underway and additional arrests would be made if more persons were found involved in the crime.
