HC upholds life term in witchcraft-linked double murder

Bhopal/Jabalpur: A division bench of the MP high court has upheld the life sentence of a man convicted of killing a fellow villager and his daughter on suspicion of witchcraft in Balaghat district.According to prosecution, convict Brijlal Parte had developed enmitytowards Manshram, a resident of his village in Balaghat district because he suspected that he had used witchcraft on his wife, who used to often remain ill.On June 25, 2014, he barged into Mansharam's house in the afternoon carrying an axe and in a fit of anger, he assaulted Masharam and his daughter Kantibai with the axe, killing them on the spot.The bench of justices Vivek Agarwal and RCS Bisen, in its judgment on April 1, said that after considering all the evidence produced before a sessions court in Balaghat, statement of witnesses and medical reports it's established beyond reasonable doubt that Brijlal had committed murders of Mansharam and his daughter Kantibai and turned down his revision petition, upholding the trial court order.