The case, first registered on June 12, 2021, began when villagers in Muthaguda alleged that Luka Dalabehera practiced witchcraft, blaming him for community deaths and prompting the fatal ambush of him and his son Anuka in the fields of Kusumsahi village.
During the trial, the prosecution tabled testimony from 23 witnesses, presented 27 documents and 25 material objects, and outlined how the victims were lured to the field before being murdered.
The court condemned all 12 accused – including the Gamango and Raika families – with life imprisonment, imposed a ₹10,000 fine on each, and warned that failure to pay would trigger an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment; the judges also noted that the defendants’ prior five‑plus‑year detentions would be credited against their sentences.
Ludia Gamango, the complainant and a relative of the victims, expressed relief that justice had finally been served, while local residents in Paralakhemundi await the defendants’ appeal, which is expected to be filed in the coming weeks.