Twelve men receive life terms for 2021 witchcraft-related killings in Odisha
A court in Gajapati, Odisha sentenced twelve defendants to life imprisonment for the murder of Luka Dalabehera and his son, whom a village council accused of practicing witchcraft.
In Gajapati district, Odisha, a bench led by Additional Sessions Judge Hara Prasad Pattanaik handed down life sentences to twelve men for the 2021 slayings of Luka Dalabehera and his son Anuka. The court held that the mob, motivated by accusations of witchcraft, deliberately planned and executed the murders, using stones and bamboo sticks in an agricultural field near Muthaguda village. Prosecutors presented testimony from 23 witnesses and documentary evidence linking the defendants to the crime.
The judgment coincides with the state government's preparation of the Odisha State Policy for Witch-Hunting (Prevention, Protection and Prosecution) 2026, which proposes special courts, trained prosecutors, and rapid response mechanisms to curb such incidents. The policy also seeks to hold officials accountable for failing to register or investigate witch-hunting complaints. This case underscores ongoing efforts to address superstition-driven violence in rural and tribal areas of the state.
Why it matters
The ruling highlights the judiciary's response to superstition-driven violence and supports new state measures to prevent witch-hunting.
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