A local court sentenced a man to life imprisonment and 31 others to three years rigorous imprisonment in connection with the murder of a tribal man on suspicion that he was practising sorcery.
District Sessions Court judge Hiranmay Bisoi convicted the 32 people for the murder of Tupi Majhi in April 2010 but acquitted three others.
The 31 were sentenced to three years RI after being found guilty of attempting to destoy evidence and hiding facts.
The inhabitants of Gadamaha village had imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on Majhi suspecting him of practising sorcery and in a meeting on April 7, 2010, called him and and asked him to pay. When he refused, Mathew Majhi, one of the villagers who was present at the meeting, pulled out a knife and slit open his throat killing him in public view.
As soon as Tupi died, the villagers burnt his body in a nearby jungle and threatened the deceased man's family members not to disclose the matter to anyone.
As the family members did not lodge any complaint out of fear, the police had registered a case on its behalf on getting the information and arrested 35 people in connection with the murder.
