POLICE PROACT: ACCUSED SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR WITCH HUNTING
Rayagada (Badal Tah) : An accused named Rajesh Kulesika, aged about 32 years, S/o- Late Mukunda Kulesika, resident of village Koilapada, Rohit Colony, PS-Rayagada, District- Rayagada has been found guilty for the commission of offence of house trespass for committing murder of the deceased Chandrama Bibhar which is punishable with death or with imprisonment for life and he is also found guilty for committing the offence of witch-hunting.
While returning to his house to take his mobile phone,Abhinas Bibhar, the son of the deceased Chandrama witnessed the instant crime on 5.9.22and that in his presence the accused named Rajesh dealt axe/tangia blow to the back side neck of his mother nearer to her spinal cord and that in the event of his shouting, the accused had absconded from the spot. The accused being his adjoining neighbour, was frequently quarreling with the deceased and that as per his previous threatening, he has committed the murder of the deceased. Vivekananda Sharma, the then Superintendent of Police, Rayagada himself had taken the charge of the investigation.
During course of the investigation, it was ascertained that the deceased was staying with her son and grandson Ajit and that the wife of the accused deserted his company for which the accused was of the strong belief that the deceased and her witch craft was solely responsible for such disturbance in his family and due to such his strong belief, he was also frequently quarrelling with deceased even by giving her open threat to commit her murder.It was further ascertained during investigation that due to such strong suspicion,the accused has committed the instant crime by assaulting the deceased on her neck/ head / face by means of an axe.
Last Monday, the sentence was pronounced in the open Court in presence of the convict by Sessions Judge, Rayagada. According to the verdict, the present case is not one of the rarest of the rare category & no previous conviction has been alleged against the convict. No material is also produced by the prosecution that he would not reform in future. In such circumstances the Court considered opinion that only life imprisonment would be just and appropriate punishment for the convict for committing the instant offence punishable U/s 302 of the IPC instead of the sentence to death.
The convict is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment(R.I) for life and to pay fine of Rs 10,000, in default to suffer further R.I for one year U/S 302 of the IPC and to undergo R.I for five years and to pay fine of Rs.5,000 and in default to suffer further R.I for three months under Section 450 IPC and to undergo R.I for one year for the offence u/s. 4(1) of the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2013. All the sentences shall run concurrently and the under trial prisoner(UTP) period already undergone by the convict shall be set off as per the provision U/S 428 of the Cr.P.C.
“Witch hunting in this tribal part of Odisha is still prevalent to some extent and police is ever alert to combat this blind belief. The above case is an eye opener and will deter people not to commit this kind of dastard act in future”, said Vivekananda Sharma, IPS, the Investigating Officer(I/O) of the case.
