Mohana: A 41-year-old man was allegedly hacked to death and his body burnt on suspicion of witchcraft in Mohana block of Gajapati district Sunday evening, police said. The deceased was identified as Ramachandra Mallick of Merama village under Mohana police station. He was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon near a makeshift hut on a hill about 2.5 kilometres from the village.
Police detained five people in connection with the incident and were questioning them. According to the family, some villagers had suspected Mallick of practising witchcraft after a woman and a two-month-old baby from the village died recently.
Mallick, who lived in the hut on the hill, was known to treat people using herbal remedies. The allegations reportedly led to a village meeting, following which Mallick was allegedly attacked near his hut and his body set on fire.
Police launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the killing and whether the village meeting had any connection with the incident. No further details were immediately available.
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