Bhubaneswar: In a chilling reminder of the deep-rooted superstition still prevalent in parts of Odisha, nine people have been arrested for allegedly murdering a village quack on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Gajapati district.
The incident took place in Kusumpur village under Mohana police limits, where the victim, identified as Karunakar Dalai, was beaten to death and his body buried in a nearby forest on the night of July 28, police said on Friday.
The matter came to light only on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after the incident, when Karunakar’s sister-in-law, Sabita Dalai, lodged a formal complaint at Mohana police station. Acting on her complaint, police launched an investigation and recovered the victim’s body from the forest on Thursday, following which it was sent for post-mortem examination.
Police confirmed that nine accused have been arrested so far, and efforts are underway to apprehend others who were part of the group involved in the killing.
According to the preliminary investigation, Karunakar used to prescribe ayurvedic-style traditional medicines to villagers for various ailments. Around two weeks before the incident, he had treated a 12-year-old boy who had been bitten by a dog. The child later died, leading to widespread resentment and suspicion among locals.
Police said enraged by the boy’s death and reportedly a few similar cases in recent times, a group of 10 to 12 villagers dragged Karunakar into the forest, beat him to death, and buried the body in an attempt to conceal the crime.
This is the second such incident reported from the Mohana area in recent days. In an earlier case, a 35-year-old man was killed in Malasapadar village, also under suspicion of practising witchcraft, highlighting a disturbing pattern of mob justice driven by superstition and fear.
Police have condemned the killings and reiterated that no form of superstition can justify violence. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing, and authorities have urged the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
