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Villagers Throttle and Mutilate Man Accused of Witchcraft
3 Aug
Summary
- 35-year-old man killed on suspicion of witchcraft
- Villagers allegedly throttled and bobbitised the victim
- Body dumped in reservoir with a stone slab tied to it
On the night of August 3rd, 2025, a 35-year-old man named Gopal Mallick was allegedly murdered by a group of villagers in Malasapadar, Gajapati district, Odisha. The villagers suspected Gopal of practicing witchcraft, which they believed had led to the recent mysterious death of a woman in the village.
Fearing an attack, Gopal had earlier left the village with his family and gone to his father-in-law's home in Ganjam district. However, on August 3rd, he returned to the village to take care of his livestock. On his way back, a group of villagers allegedly kidnapped him and took him to a house, where they assaulted and confined him despite protests from his sister-in-law, Sita Mallick.
The villagers then reportedly throttled Gopal to death and mutilated him in a gruesome act of vigilantism. They tied a stone slab to his body and dumped it in the nearby Harabhangi dam. Sita Mallick later filed an FIR, and a police team recovered Gopal's body with the help of firefighters on August 4th.
At least 14 villagers have been detained for interrogation in connection with the brutal murder. The police are working to identify and apprehend all the accused involved in this horrific incident.
