Daringbadi: Locals of Badabanga village under Daringbadi police limits in Kandhamal district held two miscreants hostage for 12 hours on suspicion that the two belonged to organ theft racket, reports said.
They were identified as Birendra Pradhan of Mandabadi village and Takara Pradhan of Jidubadi village under Baligada panchayat of K Nuagaon block.
The locals, after seizing several sorcery items from the two, locked them in the panchayat office. Later, a police team led by sub-inspector Srikant Khamari and ASI R Bhimorao Reddy reached the village and rescued them.
A case was registered based on a complaint from Badabanga sarpanch Babita Majhi. The two were later produced in a court Sunday, Daringbadi IIC Sarojkant Mohant said.
According to sources, Birendra was thrown out from his village on suspicion that he was a sorcerer. Since then, he was allegedly practicing sorcery in some nearby villages.
Birendra reached Badabanga village when one Takara sought his help in treating the latter’s daughter, who was unwell. When Birendra and his aide were on their way to Takara’s home, the villagers intervened and held them hostage.
Birendra admitted that he used to perform sorcery and healing people from different diseases but refuted the charge that he was involved in the kidney and eye theft racket. The police seized the sorcery items and set them on fire.
The villagers were apprehensive as recently there was news about an active organ theft racket in the region. Moreover, many children were reportedly went missing recently. As a result, the villagers had formed several groups to keep a watch on suspicious people wandering in and around the village, sarpanch Babita said. PNN
