Bhubaneswar, Mar 31: Four persons have been arrested for allegedly murdering an elderly man on suspicion of practising sorcery in Kandakhal village under Sanpatrapali Panchayat in Sundergarh district on Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as Mahadev Pradhan. According to police, the accused, all residents of the same village, attacked Pradhan late at night and beat him to death on the spot, reportedly driven by allegations of witchcraft.

Following the incident, locals immediately alerted authorities, prompting a police team to rush to the village and initiate an investigation. The accused were subsequently apprehended and produced before a court on Wednesday.

Nirmal Kumar Mohapatra said preliminary findings indicate that superstition and suspicion of sorcery triggered the brutal killing. He added that the victim’s wife was also injured in the assault and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, where her condition is stated to be stable.

Police have registered a case at the Sadar Police Station. A forensic team visited the scene to collect evidence, while the body was sent for post-mortem examination at Sanpatrapali PHC. Further investigation into the incident is underway.

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