The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the State Chief Secretary on Wednesday on the issue of witchcraft and sought a reply within six weeks.
Moved by a petition from lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC passed the order.
Petitioner Tripathy stated that on 12.6.2021, two persons, Luk Dalabehera and Anak Dalabehera (father and son in relationship) were beaten to death in Gajapati district of Odisha under suspicion of sorcery. He further stated that the incident occurred in spite of implementation of the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2013. The complainant pointed out that the ghastly incident took place late in the night.
According to the Dalabehera family, a minor boy died in the village and a group of villagers suspected that the minor boy allegedly died due to the practice of black magic by the father and son. A group of villagers held a meeting before reaching the Dalabehera house.
They took Luk and Anak to a nearby forest and had beaten them mercilessly. While Luk died on the spot, Anak managed to escape and return home but only to breathe his last. Despite the enactment of Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2013,it has failed to prevent harassment and torture of persons on the suspicion of practising sorcery. Identification, prosecution and systematic elimination of the practice of witchcraft is the need of the hour.
However, the same is not done by the State authorities, Tripathy contended.In case the report is not received within the stipulated time, the commission would initiate coercive process u/s 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, calling for a personal appearance of the authority concerned for submission of the report, the NHRC warned.