Nuapada, Oct 19: A 50-year-old man is in critical condition at a hospital in Odisha's Nuapada district after allegedly being set on fire by villagers who accused him of practicing black magic.
According to police, the incident occurred on Friday evening during a village meeting in Portipada, where the victim, Kham Singh Majhi, was summoned.
The villagers, acting as a kangaroo court, charged him with black magic and, as punishment, bound him with straw ropes before setting him ablaze.
Witnesses reported that as the flames engulfed him, Majhi desperately ran from house to house, crying out for help, but no one intervened. Eventually, he jumped into a nearby pond to escape the fire.
His family rescued him and rushed him to the Sinapalli government hospital. Due to his critical condition, he was later transferred to the district headquarters hospital.
Khariar's SDPO, Arup Behera, stated that a case has been registered at the Sinapalli police station and a search for the suspects is underway.
