Nuapada: A man was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life by a court in Odisha’s Nuapada district on Friday for sacrificing his nephew as part of a black magic ritual for a good harvest six years ago.
Additional District and Sessions judge Sunil Kumar Das pronounced life term for Chintamani Majhi of Jadamunda village under Komna police limits of the district after trial and examination of evidence.
As per case record, Chintamani had taken his 12-year-old nephew Dhansingh Majhi to their agricultural field on the pretext of cutting a tree. Prior going to the field, he had performed some ceremonial magic and readied the plot for human sacrifice as part of the ritual for a good crop yield.
As Dhansingh started cutting down the tree, Chintamani went from behind and hacked him with a sharp weapon, beheading the boy on the spot.
Later, police had arrested him and registered a case. Chintamani confessed that he sacrificed his nephew as an offering for ‘Choru’, a local term referring to sacrifice offered to deities for bountiful harvest before the start of the new cropping season.
Public prosecutor Kartikeswar Maharana said the judgement was pronounced by the court after trial and examination of evidence.