NEW DELHI At least nine persons including eight women were tortured, branded with iron rods and paraded on the streets in a village in the eastern Indian state of Orissa on suspicion being sorcerors, reports said Friday. They were tortured Thursday on orders of the elders council of Kumarpari village in Ganjam district on suspicion that they were responsible for the death of two boys last year. The council, known as Panchayat, also imposed a fine of 81,000(1,760 dollars) rupees on them, the United News of India reported.
The victims were rushed to a nearby clinic for treatment.
(DPA)