60-year-old man killed on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Odisha; four held

Patra was missing since July 30.After receiving a missing person complaint from Raghus family members, the Biswanathpur police in Kalahandi district started an investigation.

A 60-year-old man was killed allegedly on suspicion of practising sorcery in Odisha's Kalahandi district, police said on Tuesday.

Two persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder, the police said. Earlier the police had said that four people were arrested.

The deceased was identified as Raghu Patra of Kandama village under Lanjigarh block of Kalahandi district. Patra was missing since July 30.

After receiving a missing person complaint from Raghu's family members, the Biswanathpur police in Kalahandi district started an investigation. The police were able to trace the body of Patra on Monday.

The body was found lying on the rail tracks near Dahikhal in neighbouring Rayagada district. The local police sent it to the Government Railway Police (GRP) station at Rayagada as it was an unidentified body at that time, a police officer said.

After receiving the body, the Biswanathpur police on Monday conducted an investigation with the help of a sniffer dog and a scientific team in the village and detained two suspects—Naresh Dora and Sunai Harijan, he said.

During interrogation, Naresh admitted to committing the crime with the help of his associates, the officer said.

Naresh and his accomplices intercepted the deceased and murdered him and threw the body on the railway track near the Dahikhal station.

From preliminary investigation it was established that accused Naresh's father Dushamanta died a month ago and the family suspected that Raghu killed him by using his black magic power. Since then, Naresh was following Raghu's movement.

Inspector in Charge of Biswanathpur police station, Tulsiram Sabar, said the two accused persons involved in the incident were arrested and forwarded to court. Further investigation is going on, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)