In a horrendous incident, a 55-year old man was beheaded at his home during an alleged human sacrifice for better harvest and timely rainfall in Jharkhand.
The headless body of Thepa Kharia was found at his home by his neighbors and relative. Kharia’s relatives suspected that he was killed by Orkas and Mudkatwa, who buries human head in paddy fields to appease the rain god.
Jharkhand has been reeling under extreme heat for the past two weeks with some parts of the state recording temperature as high as 47°C.
Though weather predictions show sign of early monsoon, farmers in the state are sceptical after drought-like conditions in many districts, including Gumla, over the past two years.
Police suspects that the man was alone at home when the Orkas barged in his home and killed him in the wee hours of Sunday, and took away his head. Not finding Thepa in the Sunday market, villagers grew suspicious and broke open his house’s door. They found him lying in a pool of blood.”
The victim’s youngest brother said “The orkas can be anyone, from farmers to tantriks. They bury the head in the field and expect that the sacrifice will yield good harvest for the community. And nobody dares to lodge an FIR against them.”
However, he and his relatives gathered courage to inform the police. Jharkand police registered a case of murder and is on the hunt of the accused.
Terming human sacrifice as a “heinous crime”, former Gumla MLA Bairagi Oraon said the practice is age-old in the district. “Such incidents happened earlier too. It is believed that human sacrifice to rain God brings good rain and better harvest. It is done before the farmers start sowing paddy. But the tradition has almost vanished now.”
