Skeleton found, nine persons detained

A skeleton was recovered from a forest in Ganjam district of Odisha and nine persons were detained in this connection, police said today.
The body, recovered yesterday from a forest about 45 km from here, was suspected to be that of a 35-year-old man of Damapur village, the police said.
Police said some villagers had stoned Muna Nayak to death on June 16, suspecting him to be practising witchcraft. After committing the murder, the accused buried the body in Mayurimara forest.
The family members of the deceased lodged a missing complaint with police, they said.
"During investigation, some of the accused confessed to the murder. We recovered the skeleton and hair of the person after digging the place identified by them," said IIC of Patapur police station, A K Behera.

Nine persons have been detained on charge of murdering Nayak, he said.

The accused alleged that several persons died in a short span of time in the village as Nayak practised sorcery. "More persons, involved in the murder, will be booked soon," a police officer said. Police said the missing case, which was registered on June 16, has been revised to a murder case.
It was second sorcery-related case in the district in last one week.
A 45-year-old man in Depaguda under Digapahandi police limits was killed by some persons with sharp-edged weapons on July 8, suspecting that he was practising witchcraft.