Keonjhar: Witchcraft-related violence has become a cause of bother for administrative agencies across the state with the evil practice claiming a dozen of lives in recent past.

In violent fallout of witchcraft practice, an elderly tribal couple was recently axed to death and their son and daughter were seriously injured as people of the far-flung Rangamatia village in the tribal-dominated district suspected them to witchdoctors and attacked them.

A woman was stabbed to death by her nephew in Thakursahi village in Kaptipada police station jurisdiction of Mayurbhanj district recently. A four-year-old girl was killed by three sorcery practitioners in Koraput on July 22. The assailants who were all arrested had offered the slain girl's blood to a deity to seek blessings to hone their witchcraft skill.

Sequence of merciless killing of humans on suspicion of victims' practicing witchcraft has prompted the government agencies to launch public awareness campaign to stop recurrence of crimes. The campaigners have sent the message loud and clear that witchcraft is nothing but superstition. But crusade is failing to yield the desired results.

"Superstition is the root cause of sorcery practice. The practice is giving rise to violence. It's disconcerting that the practice is still in vogue in specific backward pockets of the district. The administration is trying its best to put an end to the evil practice. The villages where sorcery violence has been reported in the past have been earmarked. Campaigns to create awareness have been undertaken. We have roped in civil society groups and panchayati raj representatives to motivate the people," said Keonjhar collector N.Thirumala Naik.

"Sorcery killing goes unabated despite awareness campaigns. The awareness campaigns conducted by the government need to be sustained and more proactive," said Odisha Rationalist Society secretary Debendra Sutar.