Bhubaneswar, 15 January (H.S.): In a landmark judgment, the Orissa High Court has commuted the death sentences of nine individuals convicted for the brutal murder of three family members accused of practising witchcraft.
In October 2021, the Rayagada District and Sessions Court sentenced Degunu Sabara, Dasantu Sabara, Dalasa Sabara, Ajanta Sabara, Podantu Sabara, Iru Sabara, Lakia Sabara, Bubuna Sabara, and Maliku Sabara to death for this heinous crime. The convicts subsequently appealed the lower court’s verdict in the Orissa High Court.
The case dates back to September 9, 2016, when the convicts, suspecting witchcraft, forcibly dragged Asina Sabara, his wife Ambai Sabara, and their daughter Asimani Sabara from their home in Kitum village, under the jurisdiction of Putasingh police, in Rayagada district. The victims were mercilessly beaten in a cowshed until they lost consciousness. The attackers then injected pesticides into their eyes and private parts before burying them alive.
When the horrific incident came to light through local reports, the police launched an investigation and apprehended the guilty. In a bid to destroy evidence, the convicts exhumed the bodies and burned them. With the High Court’s decision, the convicts’ death sentences have been commuted to life imprisonment, ensuring they will remain behind bars for the rest of their lives.
Hindusthan Samachar
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