Overview
- Police in Cuttack district said they arrested 26 villagers from Talamundali Sabarsahi in a case involving the killing and burning of 30-year-old Tikan Behera.
- Officers reported that a mob dragged Behera from his home at night, took him to a nearby forest, tied his limbs, and beat him to death.
- A search team recovered charred bones, skeletal fragments, and ashes in the forest that investigators believe are Behera’s remains.
- The Cuttack (Rural) superintendent of police said one arrested suspect confessed during questioning.
- Police cite repeated village accusations of witchcraft, or black magic, as the motive, and they say online posts about Behera’s disappearance and a complaint by his father pushed the probe forward with more arrests possible.