Bhubaneswar, Sept. 9: A 45-year-old man suspected of practising sorcery was beaten up and thrown into a swollen river by a group of people at Veja village in Kalyansinghpur block of Rayagada district.

The incident happened yesterday.

Police and fire service personnel have been pressed into service to locate the person, identified as Bhima Rao Attaka. However, they are yet to trace him.

Kalyansinghpur police has registered a case against the accused persons following a complaint from the victim’s wife. No arrests have yet been made.

Police sources said a group of people had beaten up Rao. They tied him to an electric pole while he was going to the nearby field in the morning as they suspected him of practising sorcery in the area. The villagers later bundled him alive in a sack and threw him into the Nagaballi river.

The police were informed about the matter after neighbours raised an alarm when they saw Rao being thrown into the swollen river. Sources said more than 15 people had assaulted the victim and thrown him into the river.

Rayagada sub-divisional police officer Niranjan Behera said the search operation was going on, but they were yet to trace the victim as the river was in spate and the man was thrown into the river.

“The search operation will continue till the body is found. Besides, we have registered a case of kidnapping, wrongful confinement and murder against the accused persons. We are trying to nab the accused,” said Behera.

He said all the accused belonged to the same village where the victim lived.