Gajapati: A 37-year-old man was killed and his genitals mutilated by villagers, who suspected him of practising witchcraft, in Odisha’s Gajapati district.
The deceased has been identified as Gopal Mallik.
According to sources, the villagers allegedly strangled him, mutilated his body, and dumped it in Harabhangi Dam. The attack, which took place Saturday night in Rataguda village under Mohana police limits, is linked to suspicions that the man caused a woman’s death two weeks earlier through black magic. The man had previously fled to his father-in-law’s home in Goudagotha village due to threats but returned on Saturday to collect household items, when he was abducted and killed.
Police recovered Gopal’s mutilated body with missing organs on Sunday and arrested 14 villagers of Rataguda for their involvement in the chilling murder.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS LEADING TO THE MURDER
Gopal’s sister-in-law had filed a complaint with police, alleging that he had been abducted by villagers. The investigation revealed that the wife of one Subash Mallik of Rataguda village had died mysteriously two weeks earlier. Villagers accused Gopal of sorcery. Fearing danger to his life, he fled to his father-in-law’s house. A group of villagers confronted him, verbally abused him, and took him to the village community hall, pressuring him to confess to practising sorcery when he returned to Rataguda on Saturday. When he refused, they brutally assaulted him, took him to a spot near Harabhangi dam, and beat him again. After he lost consciousness, the attackers mutilated his body, cutting off his genitals and abdomen, and killed him. They then tied a boulder to his body and dumped it in the dam.
During questioning, some villagers informed police that Gopal was killed on Saturday evening and his body disposed of in the dam. Fourteen among them were later apprehended while attempting to flee Rataguda in three auto-rickshaws.
“Following the compliant, two teams of police conducted raids and arrested 14 people. Stones, rope and other weapons of murder along with the three auto-rickshaws have been seized,” Gajapati SP Jatindra Panda told the media.
Gopal’s body was recovered from the dam with assistance from fire services.