Law Student Of Pvt Varsity Assaulted By Seniors On Witchcraft Suspicion In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: A first-year law student of a private university in Odisha capital has accused her three roommates, also her seniors, of allegedly assaulting on the hostel premises on suspicion of practising witchcraft.

“I was accused of knowing black magic, which is completely false,” she said in her complaint with Bharatpur police.

The complainant, a resident of Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, alleged that she was constantly beaten and tortured in her hostel room from 2.30 am till 5 am from February 14 to 16, which resulted in soft tissue rupture on her left shoulder. She also sustained injuries in her hand, chin, and teeth.

The incident also disrupted her academic pursuits as she lost six months of studies, she alleged.

Though the victim had moved the institution’s disciplinary committee, the accused didn’t attend the hearing on Tuesday. Following which, she and her family lodged a complaint against three students at Bharatpur police station on Wednesday.

Taking the matter seriously, police have registered a case under Sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the IPC and also recorded the victim’s statement.