Phulbani: A 65-year-old man was killed and subsequently buried over suspicion of practicing witchcraft and past enmity. The horrendous incident has been reported from a village of Pasara panchayat under Chakapada police limits in Kandhamal district.
On being informed, cops reached the village and arrested two persons and detained four others in this connection.
The deceased has been identified as Raibaria Kanhar of Juikhol village while the accused duo is Siba Behera of Tanangpadar and Gudru Pradhan of Juikhol.
According to sources, Kanhar was allegedly practicing witchcraft in the village. He had also been to jail for killing a man 10-12 years back. Since then, his family has been ostracised.
Furthermore, an enmity prevailed between Kanhar and the family of the man he had killed.
On March 22, he had gone to a village to sell firewood on his bicycle. On his way back home, Siba and Gudru, who were waiting for his arrival, attacked him and bludgeoned him to death with an wooden plank.
A team led by Chakapad IIC Ambika Prasad Pattnaik conducted a probe and made the arrest. During interrogation, the two confessed to the crime. The cops have dug out the body from the forest and handed it over to family members.