BHOPAL: A session’s court in Mandla district on Wednesday awarded death penalty to six people for killing a man in the name of witchcraft .

In August last year, seven people, including four sorceresses stabbed a man, chopped off his arms, set him ablaze and danced around him till he turned to ashes. The horrendous crime was committed in Mandla district’s Nivas area in front of his hapless wife and 10-year-old son. The death sentence was issued by additional sessions judge, Virendra Pandey, who cited it as a rare of the rarest case.

Witchcraft is widely practised in the district and rival sorcerers are often killed. The deceased, Brijlal, resident of Dindori district, had approached a sorcerer, Parvati, for treatment of his son, said police.

As soon as they reached the ashram, Parvati branded Brijlal as a 'sorcerer' and ordered her disciples to kill him. Six people, including four women, who were learning voodoo, took turns to stab him with a trident. Later, Parvati instructed them to drop the trident and wield the axe on him.

When Brijlal began to writhe in pain, accused doused him with kerosene and set him ablaze. As he screamed in agony, more kerosene-soaked clothes were thrown on him. They celebrated the 'killing' by dancing around his burning body.

His wife and son were forced to stay away from the spot during the macabre act. They screamed for help, but to no avail. The ashram was located inside a remote forest.

Brijlal’s wife and son were allowed to leave the ashram with a warning, not to go to police. The woman and child travelled all night to Niwas police station.

All sorcerers, including Parvati, Bhagwati, Kusia, Surtia, Mukesh, Dumari Singh and Gend Singh were arrested and charged with murder . Police also seized trishuls, axe, harmonium, and drum besides literature on black-magic from the spot.

