Man Brutally Assaulted, Forced To Drink Human Urine Over Suspicion Of Practicing Sorcery

A man has been brutally beaten and forced to drink human urine over suspicion of practicing sorcery in his village.

The incident took place in Bolangir district in the eastern Indian state of Odisha on Saturday. The matter came to light Monday after a purported video of the thrashing went viral on social media, Hindusthan Times reported.

The victim, Hadibandhu Bagarti, was accused of practicing witchcraft and was declared guilty at a meeting held by village elders after a few people in the locality fell ill due to unknown reasons, the local police said. After the elders decided to "punish" Bagarti, a group of villagers dragged him out of his home and thrashed him in public. The mob later forced Bagarti to drink human urine, according to India Today.

Upon receiving information from the victim's family, officers reached the village and detained those allegedly involved in the assault. Deputies rushed Bagarti, who was in a state of shock, to a hospital. He is currently undergoing treatment.

Bolangir Police Chief Nitin Kushalkar told India Today that three suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident. "Three people have been arrested, they were charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code," Kushalkar told the outlet.

"They dragged my brother out of our house and thrashed him badly, they forced him to drink urine and eat excreta. I have named all those who thrashed him in the FIR," Manmoth Bagarti, the victim’s brother, told the publication.

In another incident on Sunday, an elderly woman was beheaded in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. The 62-year-old victim, identified as Jamuna Hansdah, was found decapitated near her village. The victim’s family told officers that the woman was targeted after the recent death of a person in the village. The police have filed a murder case and arrested two youth in connection with Hansdah's death.

A practitioner of witchcraft is commonly believed to have supernatural abilities, which they use to gain control over individuals and events.