Baripada: Chandua police arrested a 50-year-old sorcerer on the allegation of performing black magic.

He was booked under the Odisha Witchhunting Prevention Act.

The accused, identified as Sadar Tudu, resident of Jhajhadapal in Chandua police limits, was forwarded to court on Sunday.

Later, he was sent to the jail following the rejection of bail petition by the court.

The accused tried to bring a former sarpanch back to life who died after suffering from kidney related ailments in the government hospital at Baripada.

Rajaram Murmu, 40, an ex-sarpanch of Maragtandi gram panchayat under Kuliana block, succumbed to prolonged ailments while undergoing treatment in Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada on Friday afternoon.

The accused assured to bring back life in the body and performed black magic for about 12 hours.

As the news spread, local residents congregated to witness Tudu's supernatural power through tantra.

After getting the information, the local police rushed to the village. They seized the body and took the sorcerer into the custody.

Baripada sub-divisional police officer, Abhimanyu Nayak, said the accused was the nephew of the deceased. The body had begun decomposing by the time the police reached the spot.

"The accused claimed that he had acquired special powers through sorcery to bring back life into a dead person. When the police officers asked him to stop the nonsense, he prevented them saying it was their personal matter. With a lot of resistance, the body could be seized and the last rites were performed," Nayak said.

"He was booked under the Section 294 (obscene act), 506(criminal intimidation) and 353(assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 5 and 6 of the Odisha Witch hunting Prevention Act," he said.