Latest News | 5 Arrested for Killing 75-year-old Man

Berhampur(Odisha), Apr 9 (PTI) Police on Friday arrested five persons on charge of killing a man in Odisha's Ganjma district whom they suspected to be practising witchcraft in the village.

A 75-year old man at Dhiniripankal village was stoned to death on March 29 by the accused persons, police said.

Police recovered the body of Dharma Naik from a canal near the Sardhapur village the next day and started an investigation after registering a murder case on the complaint of the daughter of the deceased Sabita Naik.

The arrested persons included Budhiram Naik (23), Dhoba Naik (40), Bulu Naik (28), Rohit Naik (27) of Dhimiripankal and Das Naik (30) of Lembhakumpa village.

"The murder case was solved as almost all the accused persons are arrested," said sub-divisional police officer, Aska, Suryamani Pradhan.

Blood-stain stone piece, two motorcycles and a mobile phone were seized from the accused persons, he said.

The police said the accused persons have confessed to killing the old man for allegedly practising sorcery in the village for which the family members of the accused persons died or suffering from diseases.

After committing murder, they had fled to their work place in neighbouring Gajapati district. During the investigation, the police traced and arrested them, said the SDPO.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)