[Watch] Odisha’s Rayagada Court Upholds Death Penalty For 9 In 2016 Triple Murder Case

Rayagada: The District and Sessions court here on Thursday sentenced nine persons to death for the brutal murder of three members of a family of Rayagada’s Kitum village in 2016 on suspicion of practising sorcery.

In April 2018, the Gunupur Additional District and Sessions Court had sentenced the 9 persons to death for brutally murdering three members of a family on suspicion of practising sorcery. After the judgement, the convicted had appealed in the High Court following which the HC asked the district court to reconsider the case.

Following the HC direction, the ADJ court shifted the case to Rayagada District and Sessions court. After hearing the arguments and witnesses, the court found the 9 persons guilty, sated Special Public Prosecutor, Krishna Chandra Senapati.

Informing about the case Senapati said on September 9, 2016, Asina Sabara, his wife Ambai Sabara and daughter Asimani Sabara of Kitum village under Putasingh police limits were dragged out of their house and taken to a cowshed where they were mercilessly beaten up by the nine accused.

After the three members of the family fell unconscious, the villagers, who had held the family members responsible for various diseases that afflicted inhabitants of Kitum village, injected them with pesticides in their eyes and private parts. The three were then buried.

The brutal crime was committed in the presence of Melita (the couple’s minor daughter), who was threatened with dire consequences if she disclosed the matter to anyone.

When the accused came to know that someone had tipped off the police about their act, they exhumed the bodies and set them on fire during night.

A few days later, on September 16, Melita managed to file an FIR in Putasingh police station following which Putasingh police swung into action and arrested nine suspects.