Rayagada: A septuagenarian woman was stabbed in Mankadajhola village near Rayada town on the suspicion that she practiced witchcraft.
The injured elderly lady has been identified as Khalimani Jena, a 70-year-old native of Mankadajhola village.
According to reports, two unidentified men came to Khalimani’s house late on Saturday night and asked her to accompany them. Once out of her house, Khalimani was brutally beaten by the assailants and later stabbed her brutally with a sharp weapon. They dumped the injured woman near a village pond.
On Sunday, some villagers found a blood-stained Khalimani lying unconscious near the pond and rushed her to Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) where her condition is said to be critical.
Meanwhile, villagers alleged that the daughter in-law and grandson of another villager Balu Zhodia were sick for the last few days. They succumbed to their ailments on Saturday. Balu was under the impression that Khalimani practiced sorcery and was responsible for the two deaths. He had a bitter argument with the old lady on Saturday before being attacked.
Meanwhile, Rayagada Town Police have reached the village and started an investigation into the alleged witchcraft incident.
