Three people hacked to death in Odisha over witchcraft suspicions

A 65-year-old man, his 35-year-old son and a 45-year-old man were hacked to death while three others were seriously injured after two groups clashed over witchcraft-related allegations in Ganjam district late on Tuesday.

Police officials said the father-son duo, Khadala Behera (65) and Ratnakar Behera (35), was socially boycotted by the villagers of Kharipalli for the last three years after being accused of practicing witchcraft. The duo, however, continued to live in Kharpalli, but a month ago police force was deployed in the village due to the simmering tension.

After the police force was withdrawn a few days ago, the underlying tension again increased on Tuesday evening and a quarrel ensued between the father-son duo and villagers over using the village pond.

“The villagers, armed with weapons, assembled before their house and asking Khadala to leave the village at once. When the duo retaliated with sharp weapons, a clash ensued and, in the violence, three people were killed while three others sustained injuries,” said Aska sub-divisional police officer Santosh Kumar Jena.

The third deceased was identified as Ramesh Behera (45). The father-son duo died on the spot. Police officials said the villagers were so infuriated that they continued to hack the duo with sharp weapons even after their death.

After the clash, villagers reportedly set fire to the house of the deceased. Though the police rushed to the spot, they were prevented from entering by irate villagers. At least 12 platoons of police have been rushed to the village.

The Odisha Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act, 2013, criminalises witch-branding and imposes strict penalties. However, the Act lacks provisions to tackle the deep-rooted social stigma and ostracisation faced by victims. Many victims and their families are forcefully driven out of villages, suffering long-term social and economic exclusion.

Witchcraft-related deaths are more common in tribal-dominated districts like Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Malkangiri, and Ganjam. As per the National Crime Records Bureau, Odisha has seen at least 540 killings due to witchcraft between 2015 and 2022.

The NCRB has consistently ranked Odisha second in the country for witch-hunting cases, behind Jharkhand.