The Odisha government has drafted a comprehensive policy to combat witch-hunting, proposing special courts, time-bound trials, immediate rescue and rehabilitation of victims and action against police officials who fail to register or properly investigate complaints.
The proposed Odisha State Policy for Witch-Hunting (Prevention, Protection and Prosecution), 2026, prepared by the Women and Child Development Department, seeks to strengthen the state’s response to witch-branding and related violence, particularly in rural and tribal areas. The policy goes beyond prosecution to address the social conditions that allow such practices to persist, including poverty, patriarchy, social exclusion, inadequate healthcare, land disputes and lack of scientific awareness.
Special courts, trained prosecutors planned
Under the draft framework, Odisha proposes to establish special courts and deploy trained prosecutors to ensure speedy and time-bound trials in witch-hunting cases. Cases would be registered under the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act, 2013, along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and, wherever applicable, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The government also plans round-the-clock response mechanisms and systematic tracking of cases from the filing of complaints through investigation and prosecution. Officials who fail to register complaints or conduct proper investigations could face action under the proposed policy.
Special procedures are envisaged for recording evidence to reduce trauma suffered by victims and witnesses during the judicial process. Those facing threats could also be brought under Odisha’s Witness Protection Scheme and relocated to safer places when necessary.
Villages to be mapped for vulnerability
A major component of the policy focuses on preventing witch-branding before accusations escalate into harassment or violence. Authorities would identify villages considered particularly vulnerable to such incidents and mobilise Gram Sabhas, schools, self-help groups and frontline health workers to challenge superstition and promote scientific awareness.
Gram Panchayat Social Justice Standing Committees are proposed to serve as a grassroots vigilance network, identifying early indications of witch-branding and alerting district authorities before the situation turns violent.
The approach reflects the government’s assessment that witch-hunting cannot be treated solely as a consequence of superstition. The draft identifies poverty, gender discrimination, social marginalisation, disputes over property and land, inadequate access to healthcare and poor scientific awareness among the factors that can contribute to accusations and subsequent violence.
Immediate shelter for victims
Police and district authorities would be required to provide immediate rescue and safe accommodation once a victim reports persecution. Victims could be housed in One Stop Centres or Shakti Sadans, while longer-term rehabilitation and compensation would be provided through a dedicated non-lapsable fund.
Part of the proposed fund could be financed through fines imposed by courts. The framework seeks to ensure that survivors are not simply rescued from immediate violence but receive sustained assistance to rebuild their lives and safely return to society.
The policy follows recommendations made by the Odisha State Law Commission for major changes to the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act, 2013. Concerns had been raised that the existing legal framework did not adequately address the deeper causes behind witch-branding, including social exclusion, property disputes, irrational beliefs and institutional failures.
315 witchcraft-related murders in 15 years
The scale of the problem remains significant. According to National Crime Records Bureau data cited in the dr