Sambalpur, Sept. 23: Police today arrested two brothers for killing a 63-year-old man at Tamparkela village, around 25km from here.

The accused duo, identified as Girigobardhan Guru and Dhuba Guru, hacked Fakira Charan Dash, a retired employee of the Western Electricity Supply Company, to death and injured his wife, Alladini Dash, on the suspicion that they were practising witchcraft at the village.

Girigobardhan is a school teacher.

Fakira Charan died on the spot, while Alladini was rushed to Veer Surendra Sai Medical College and Hospital in Burla in a critical condition.

The incident took place around 6am when Alladini had gone out to pick flowers.

Sources said Girigobardhan’s 13-year-old daughter had lost eyesight due to some ailment around six months ago.

The family had consulted several doctors and visited various hospitals for the girl’s treatment, but nothing worked. This led them to believe that her blindness had been caused by black magic.

The brother duo suspected Fakira’s wife to be practising black magic against their child. This led Girigobardhan and Dhuba to make a plan to eliminate Alladini.

Both the accused today attacked her with an axe while she was going to pluck flowers this morning. On hearing her cries, Fakira rushed to the place and tried to save her. The duo then attacked Fakira with the weapon and he died on the spot. While the murderers fled after killing Fakira, other members of Alladini’s family rushed to the spot and took her to hospital.

Fakira’s daughter-in-law Puspanjali Dash said: “Two persons attacked my mother-in-law with an axe. When my father-in-law went to rescue her, they killed him.” Tension erupted at the village following the incident.

Officer in charge of Sason police station B.K. Pradhan said: “We have arrested the accused. During interrogation, the brother duo have confessed to have committed the murder. We have also seized the weapon of offence. Further investigation is on.”

A similar incident had occurred last year at Jambahal village in the Rengali police station limits, 28km from here. In that case, a group of villagers killed a 64-year-old man and beat up his wife on the suspicion that they had been practising black magic.