Sexual assault survivors kill accused in Odisha, burn his body; 8 women arrested

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 10, 2025 12:15 IST

A 60-year-old man was allegedly hacked to death and his body partially burnt by a group of local women, reportedly enraged over his repeated abusive behaviour and history of sexual misconduct in Odisha's Gajapati district.

The deceased has been identified as Kambi Malik, a resident of Kuihuru village. The gruesome act is believed to have occurred on June 2, when Kambi’s family was away.

However, the incident came to light only five days later after his family filed a missing person’s complaint at Mohana Police Station. Acting on the complaint, police launched an investigation and recovered Kambi’s half-burnt body from a forested area located about two kilometres from the village.

A local woman, who has been detained, told police that Kambi had sexually assaulted her when she was alone at home.

“I didn’t tell anyone. Later, when Kambi was asleep on the verandah of his house, I attacked him with a sharp weapon,” she reportedly confessed during questioning.

Kambi’s daughter, Sundari Malik, said, “We searched for my father but couldn’t find him. Today, a girl child informed me that he had been murdered, and his body was near the riverbank. My brother and I went searching and found his half-burnt body in the forest.”

Local residents revealed a long-standing tension in the village over Kambi’s alleged conduct. He was accused of sexually assaulting several women in the community, particularly widows and elderly women. Despite multiple warnings, he allegedly continued his predatory behaviour. Fear, stigma, and social pressure reportedly prevented many victims from speaking out or raising the issue in village meetings.

Adding to the community's unease, there were also suspicions that Kambi practised sorcery and operated as a self-styled healer or quack, which intensified the fear and resentment amongst villagers.

Following the incident, police registered a murder case and arrested 8 women. An investigation is underway to ascertain the full details and motives behind the killing.

"The deceased had an illegal sexual relationship with a few widows of the village. There are 8 women who were involved in this murder. We have arrested 8 women in this incident. They will look forward to court today" said the police inspector.