Balasore: A man from Bankishula village of the Nilagiri block in Balasore district was bludgeoned to death on Monday over suspicion that he practiced witchcraft. The victim was identified as Shyam Singh.
According to reports, Singh had a dispute with some villagers over some issues on Monday. Singh reportedly threatened to practice black magic on some of the people in the village during the argument. Following this, an irate mob from the village beat Singh to death.
They also severed Singh’s tongue before killing him.
The deceased wife Minati Singh alleged, “The angry villagers killed my husband. They tied his neck to a pole with a belt, and when his tongue came out, they severed it with a sharp weapon. Subsequently, they bludgeoned him to death.”
According to Minati, Meena Singh, his wife and Chanda Singh of Bankishula village killed her husband.
Meanwhile, a local village Upendra Nayak alleged, “The villagers killed Shyam Singh brutally suspecting that he practiced black magic. It is unfortunate that even now people in rural areas are still killing each other over sorcery.”
“The administration should take initiatives to make the people aware of the evils of superstition. This is a tribal-dominated area. The officials in the block should think of ways to spread awareness first,” Nayak added.
On being informed, the police reached the spot and have begun a probe into the incident.
