Three persons were arrested on Friday for killing an old man, Baya Mallick, suspecting him to be a sorcerer in the Digapahandi area of Ganjam district.
The accused were identified as Tapatia Mallick and her two brother-in-laws, Shiva Mallick and Chakra Mallick of Dhepakuda village under the Digapahandi police limits.
According to reports, the trio had taken Baya to a nearby jungle on July 8 and hacked him to death. After beheading the old man, the accused came with the head and threw it in a bush in
the jungle.
The accused had targeted Baya after the death of three persons of their family in 40 days. The trio thought that Baya killed their family members by applying black
magic.
“We have seized a Katuri from the trio and arrested them for killing the old man,” said Digapahandi IIC Suresh Tripathy.