Odisha court sentences twelve to life for witchcraft murders

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A court in Gajapati district of Odisha has sentenced 12 men to life imprisonment for murdering a father and his son in 2021.
The victims, Luka Dalabehera and his son Anuka Dalabehera, were beaten to death with stones and bamboo sticks after a village council accused them of practising witchcraft.
The court described the killings as cold-blooded and premeditated, and the prosecution examined 23 witnesses along with documentary and material evidence.
The judgment comes as the Odisha government drafts a 2026 state policy for preventing witch-hunting, which proposes special courts, trained prosecutors, and round-the-clock response mechanisms.
The policy aims to strengthen prevention, ensure quick rescue of victims, and speed up trials in rural and tribal areas.

Release of the final Odisha State Policy for Witch-Hunting (Prevention, Protection and Prosecution), 2026.
Establishment of special courts and deployment of trained prosecutors for witch-hunting cases.
Action against officials who fail to register or properly investigate witch-hunting complaints.

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Named India · Anuka Dalabehera · Gajapati · Luka Dalabehera · Government of Odisha · Hara Prasad Pattanaik · Josua Gamango

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