A tribal couple of Nilgiri in Baleswar district was brutally attacked by the fellow villagers for allegedly practising witchcraft.While Hemendra Singh was admitted at the Baleswar District Headquarters Hospital his wife Kuni Singh of Salabani village under Mahisapatta gram panchayat of Nilgiri block fled to unknown place apprehending further wrath of villagers.Source said six people armed with traditional lethal weapons attacked the couple as a sorcerer of Mayurbhanj reportedly branded them as witches after the former approached him seeking solution for the miseries.
However, while the six people fell ill in unknown diseases and two of them died.Villagers suspected that evil spirit worked in their pocket and the incidents were reoccurring.The sorcerer had allegedly told them that the couple was worshipping stone idols in their house which had been causing the black magic effect.On June 8 the villagers had asked Hemendra to throw the worshipping deities.Following the incident police personnel have been deployed to protect the mother of Hamendra and his three children. Meanwhile, Nilgiri SDPO SR Mahapatra said investigation is on and the culprits will be arrested soon.