A person was attacked by villagers and his face was smeared with feces over suspicion of practising sorcery at Sirabahal village under Gudbhela block in Balangir district.
A total of 26 persons have been booked and four persons arrested in this connection, Tushura police said. According to reports, one of the villagers, Biranchi Chatria, had confronted one Sukru Nag alleging him of practising witchcraft in the village.
On Friday, the suspected sorcerer was called by his aide Raghu Chatria to a meeting chaired by Biranchi. The duo indulged in a fight over suspicion of witchcraft practice.
At the meeting, Biranchi allegedly attacked both Sukru and Raghu and smeared face of Sukru with feces. It sparked tension in their families and they confronted each other in which Raghu was seriously injured. He was rushed to the Gudbhela PHC, from where he was shifted to the DHH in Balangir.
On Friday night, Sukru lodged a written complaint at the Tushura Police Station, following which a case was registered against 16 persons. Next day, police arrested Biranchi, his wife Kanchan and two others in connection with the case and forwarded them to court.
In counter-allegation, Biranchi’s wife mentioned in a complaint that Sukru and Raghu, among eight persons, abused her husband during a meeting on Friday and attacked him. Based on the complaint, police registered another case against 10 persons, informed Tushura IIC Joshobant Pradhan.
