A 50-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by some villagers on suspicion of practising witchcraft at Dhepaguda in Ganjam district, police said today.
After killing the victim, identified as Prakash Mallick, the villagers tried to dispose off the body at cremation ground last night to hide the crime, a police official said.
"We seized some bones and ashes from the cremation ground. These will be sent to the forensic department for laboratory test," he said.
Ten persons have been detained in connection with the incident which came to light when the deceased's son Naveen Mallick lodged an FIR, he said.
