Baripada: In yet another disturbing incident linked to superstition, an unmarried elderly woman was allegedly murdered on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Mayurbhanj district.
The incident occurred in Kumbhirda village under the jurisdiction of Bahalda police station. The deceased has been identified as Jaba Tudu, while the accused, her neighbour Yugu Marndi, has surrendered before the police following the crime.
According to preliminary reports, the accused suspected the woman of being a witch. Late on Friday night, while the victim was sleeping alone in her house, the accused allegedly attacked her with a sickle, inflicting fatal injuries. He is also reported to have set her on fire during the assault, resulting in a brutal death.
On receiving information, police personnel from Bahalda police station rushed to the spot and began an investigation.
On Saturday morning, Additional Superintendent of Police Jadunath Jena and Rairangpur SDPO Birendra Kumar Senapati, along with a scientific team, visited the village to examine the scene and collect evidence.
The body was sent for post-mortem, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events and motive behind the killing.
Despite awareness campaigns and legal provisions against witch-hunting, incidents driven by blind belief continue to surface in certain pockets of the state, raising serious concerns over the persistence of superstition in rural areas.
