BURLA: Hundreds of innocents are branded as witches and warlocks, tortured and murdered in the most gruesome manner in rural parts of Odisha every year. Despite literacy efforts and rationalist campaigns, superstition continues to claim its victims. The explosion of information technology, growing industrialisation and rising literacy levels notwithstanding, large pockets of the State are still soaked in pre-historic beliefs.The latest incident that came to the fore is from Tabada, a remote village in Gunderpur gram panchayat in Sambalpur district. A 15-year-old girl Lipi Sahu was subjected to black magic, ‘treatment’ by witch doctors because ‘she emitted fire from her body’ for the last one year. Her father Daruna even sold his 1.5 acre land to get her cured, but that too did not prove effective. When nothing seemed to heal her, they brought her to the VSS Medical College and Hospital (MCH) on Tuesday. She was admitted to the Psychiatric department. The doctors on Wednesday, however, said the girl was under extreme mental turmoil as a result of which, she behaved in an abnormal manner.During interrogation, it was revealed that the girl had been staying with her maternal uncle from infancy to Class VII. During her stay, she developed an affair with her uncle’s son. When her parents came to know of it, they took her back to their village. This disturbed her mentally. Clinical psychologist of the MCH Gauri Shankar Prusty said Lipi’s parents had been apprised of it and asked to take necessary medical measures.
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