Seven persons of a village under the Chandiposh police station in Bonei sub-division of Sundargarh district were arrested  on Saturday, allegedly for the sensational killing of a woman and her five-year-old daughter, suspecting the woman of practising witchcraft.

The deceased were identified as Gangi (28) and her daughter Sibani (5). Gangi was wife of Birsa Kerketta alias Pintu(32) who is a native of village Gaidega Ravanjhula.

 The villagers suspected Gangi as a witch. Time and again meetings were held by the villagers where  Gangi was cautioned to stop sorcery and her husband Birsa was also directed to check his wife.

Meanwhile, one Buda Ekka, the elder son of Sanika Ekka and a migrant worker of the village had gone to Kerala.  He had returned to the  village  about one month ago but he died of an unknown disease.

This provided a spur to the villagers' doubt that Buda died due to the witchcraft of Gangi.

On September 9 evening, a Sarna Puja (Gaon Puja) was organised in the village. In the evening, Birsa along with his wife Gangi and daughter Sibani, had taken dinner after which Birsa was  moving near his house whereas  Gangi and her daughter Sibani were taking rest on their cot.

During Sarna Puja, the villagers decided to take action against Gangi.  At about 8.30 pm on September 9,  two cousin brothers of  deceased Buda, identified as Sunil Ekka and Anil Ekka, along with other persons of village entered in the house of Birsa forcibly.  Seeing them, terified Birsa hid him in the backside of the house.

The mob assaulted both Gangi and her daughter Sibani. They  dragged both of them to the main road of the village near an electric pole and in presence of the villagers, they assaulted both Gangi and Sibani brutally by means of lathis leading to their death.

Subsequently, the killers threw the bodies in river Brahmani.

On September 11, Bisra lodged an FIR at the Chandiposh police station alleging that his wife and daughter were  killed by villagers.

The local police conducted an inquiry with help of SO, DFSL, Rourkela, dog squad and fire brigade of Lahunipada, Gurundia and Bonai and finally on  September 13, the body of Gangi was recovered from Brahmani river kept in a plastic gunny  bag.

On Saturday, police arrested the seven accused in this case identified  as Sunil Ekka, Anil Ekka, Etua Ekka, Bhadra Keretta, Champa Kerketta,  Mange and Kustam Toppo. Police also seized two lathis from them, in which they had assaulted both the mother and daughter.