Keonjhar: An elderly woman was allegedly forced to drink poison by her kin at Haradabahara village under Ramachandrapur police limits in Anandapur of Keonjhar district Monday on the suspicion that she practiced sorcery. The deceased was identified as Phula Majhi.
Phula’s nephew Rabindra was childless and his family members suspected her of practicing witchcraft and blamed her for his wife’s inability to conceive. Earlier, Rabindra’s father Narayan and Phula’s husband Kamalakanta had a bitter tiff over this issue.
Kamalakanta and his two sons Monday morning had gone to their farmland. Finding Phula alone at home, Rabindra and his mother Heera Majhi forced her to drink poison. Phula was rushed to the hospital in critical condition where she died.
Her family lodged a complaint with the police. No one has been arrested in this connection while this report was filed. The tribal pockets of Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur and Keonjhar are known for witchcraft violence with these districts accounting for 70 per cent of such cases being registered in 2017.
During the first week of August, a woman had been beaten to death in Joda police station area on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. A man was hacked to death over similar suspicion at Pindhapokhari village under Joda block of Keonjhar district.
Four persons were arrested in this connection. Those arrested were identified as Tutu Munda, Sendha Munda, Misra Munda and Durga Munda. The accused had allegedly beaten Sudam Munda to death suspecting him of practising sorcery.
