Keonjhar: A man allegedly hacked a 45-year-old tribal woman to death, suspecting her of practising witchcraft, near Damapur village in the district's Joda police limits.
The victim, Jashodhari Munda, died on the spot after suffering multiple wounds on her body.
"The assailant has been identified as Jagannath Munda, 27, of the same village. His son used to fall sick quite often. On the advice of a few villagers, he had consulted a witch doctor to heal his child. The self-styled witch doctor identified the woman as sorcery practitioner, who had cast evil spirit on the child," said Joda police station inspector Prakash James Topno.
"Later, the accused, in a fit of rage, stabbed her to death with a sharp weapon. Jagannath believed that her death would pave the way of his son's recovery," Topno added.
The police arrested the assailant, who confessed to the crime. The murder weapon was seized. The accused, however, remains unrepentant despite committing murder, he said.Munda has been sent to jail Booked under the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act and Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, he was sent to jail after a local court rejected his bail plea.
Search is on to arrest the witch doctor, who had abetted the crime by branding the woman as a witch.
Witchcraft related violence has become frequent in Joda police limits.
"The police are launching anti-witchcraft campaigns from time to time. Still there is no let-up in such violence. These incidents are occurring because of poverty, family disputes, blind belief and lack of education. The police will renew the anti-sorcery campaign to curb such occurrences," the official said.