Priestess Arrested for Beating Teens in 'Black Magic' Ritual

In a disturbing incident reported from Odisha's Jajpur district, two women, including a temple priestess, were taken into custody for allegedly assaulting two teenage girls with canes. The religious ritual, which unfolded in Panturi village on Tuesday, was intended to remove an alleged 'black magic spell' from one of the teenagers, according to police reports.

Investigations revealed that the teenage girl initially fell ill and received treatment at a local hospital. Her family, dissatisfied with the medical results, consulted Gedi Dehury, a priestess at the local Tarini temple. Dehury attributed the illness to sorcery and advised a ritualistic intervention, leading to the public beating of the girl, which sparked outrage.

Local authorities, tipped off by witnesses, intervened and rescued the victims. The girls were transported to Dharmasala Community Health Centre following the assault. Jajpur SP Yash Pratap Shrimal confirmed the arrest of the accused and stated that a thorough investigation is ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)