Young woman burnt to death over witchcraft

BHUBANESHWAR: A young woman was burnt to death at a cremation ground in Orissa's Koraput district by three men who accused her of practicing witchcraft, police said on Friday.

The incident took place in Badamathur, some 450 km from here, May 22 but came to light only after the killers confessed to the police on Thursday that they had killed Maramani Jugur, 30, a mother of two.

According to police inspector Niranjan Parida, a pregnant woman, Pidia Makara, fell ill and died. Before dying, she allegedly told her husband that she dreamt that Jugur had cast an evil spell on her.

Her husband and his younger brothers dragged Jugur out of her home and beat her in front of the villagers. They took her to the village cremation ground and set her on fire.

None of the villagers initially reported the matter to the police fearing retaliation from the three brothers. The three men have been arrested.