Post News Network
Bangiriposi, Jan 18: A husband and wife – both claiming to be sorcerers who possessed the ability to bring back the dead – were rescued by police from being lynched after their ‘efforts’ to bring back a deceased youth to life turned sour in a remote village of Mayurbhanj district Monday.
The district has earned notoriety for being a hotbed of superstition, with innocent people routinely being murdered on suspicion of practicing sorcery or witchcraft.
Late Friday night, a man named Kandra Singh (40) of Badabhardhashol village died after complaining of stomach pain. Kandra was living with his nephews and his sudden death came as a shock for them, villagers said. Kandra was later buried by his relatives at a cremation ground outside the village Saturday.
The very next day, a couple identifying themselves as Ajit and Jakri Naik turned up in the village, claiming that they could bring back Kandra to life if certain rituals were observed. Gullible as they were, the villagers became convinced of the couple’s abilities and soon arranged for all the things that the couple asked for — a bottle of liquor, fruits, and several varieties of flowers.
Towards evening, the sorcerer couple made their way to the cremation ground and began their rituals to bring back Kandra. The rituals lasted for over three hours, after which they returned to the village and declared that a hale and hearty Kandra would come back to them by 11 am Monday.
Meanwhile, the entire village congregated Monday morning in anticipation of a miracle, and waited with bated breath for the clock to strike 11. As noon approached, the couple bought some more time, stating that Kandra would return by evening.
However, it soon dawned upon the villagers that they were taken for a ride, and detained the sorcerer couple.
On a tip-off, police rushed to the village and took the sorcerer couple into custody. The husband and wife are now being interrogated at the local police station, police sources said.