Koraput/Narayanpatna: In a shocking incident, a man was allegedly beaten to death by his neighbours over suspected witchcraft and sorcery following the death of one of the latter’s kin at Jarpa village under Bandhugaon police limits in Koraput district, Sunday afternoon. Even a whip was allegedly issued in the village to keep the incident a secret after the angry family members allegedly threw the body over the burning pyre of the deceased to hush up the murder. The victim has been identified as Shiba Minyaka, 34, and the deceased, Dasa Minyaka, 52. The matter came to the fore after reports surfaced Monday.
Following a tip-off, the Bandhugaon police reached the village and launched an investigation with the help of a forensic team, IIC Prasanna Kumar Mishra said. Koraput ASP Manobrata Satapathy also visited the village and took stock of the situation Monday. Police have detained five accused persons who are learnt to have confessed to the crime during questioning. Police said Dasa breathed his last Sunday afternoon after a protracted illness. However, his family members and kin suspected Shiba responsible for Dasa’s death as the former was not in good terms with the latter and his cousins over some past enmity.
Moreover, Shiba often used to pick up fights with Dasa and his cousins and even threatened to kill them using witchcraft and sorcery. The alleged incident occurred following Dasa’s death. Police said Shiba went to the cremation ground during the last rites of Dasa when five of the latter’s kin assaulted him with wooden planks. A critically injured Shiba died on the spot. Panicked, the family members of Dasa threw Shiba’s body on the pyre and let it burn to ashes in order to suppress the incident. They also allegedly threatened the villagers not to disclose the incident before others and warned them of dire consequences if they did so. Police said the petrified members of Shiba’s family did not report the matter to them.
