Woman suspected to be witch stripped, tortured, 10 held

In a barbaric incident, a woman was stripped, tied to a pole and tortured by villagers who suspected her of practising witchcraft in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district.

The incident occurred in Jodapokhari village on July 27 following the death of a tribal youth Susant Hansda, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Rairangpur, Mohan Pani said today quoting a delayed report.
The villagers suspected that Susant died due to the witchcraft being practised by Pana Hansda, wife of Kasrai Hansda of the village, he said.

At night the villagers allegedly dragged the woman from her house and thrashed her before stripping and tying her to an electric pole, he said.

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When Pana's husband Kasrai and a woman neighbour attempted to rescue her, they were also not spared by the villagers, Pani said quoting an FIR filed by the family members of the victim last week.

Acting on the complaint, police arrested ten persons including a woman on Saturday, Pani said, adding the accused as well as the victim were tribals. The woman was undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital here, he said.