**Gajapati:** Witchcraft accompanied with blind faith has cropped up its ugly head again, this time in Kanteikoli village under Mohana police limits here. A sorcerer, who was taken into police custody while performing rituals today morning, was forcibly freed by the villagers as they gheroaed the police van.
It all began when one Parmananda Parichha of Pudamari village was called to Kanteikoli in order to perform rituals. The villagers wanted to ascertain the reason behind the death of a man, who had allegedly died last week due to sorcerer’s black magic and witchcraft.
Parichha reached the village and began the ‘puja’ when the cops reached the spot and took him into their custody. However, the irate villagers wanted Parichha to complete the rituals as they had strong blind faith that the puja could find the accused behind their closed one’s death.
Thus, they gheraoed the police van and started arguing with the personnel. Despite several attempts by the cops, the vehicle could not budge from the place. Left with no other option, the cops had to free the sorcerer from their custody.
Unfortunately, a timely intervention by the police could not stop the age-old superstitious practice of sorcery and black magic.
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