Uparkhandadhar (Orissa), Nov.14 : In a revolting incident of superstition some villagers in Uparkhandadhar village of Sundergarh district in Orissa allegedly forced four women accused of being witches to eat human excreta under the disguise of witches. The police have arrested eight persons, including two women for this heinous action.
These four women were locked in a room for three days by six men and two women. They were allegedly forced to pay a fine of 500 rupees each and forced to consume human excreta.
“They beat us with a bible and said we were lying and that we are practicing witchcraft. They also fined us for it and forced us to consume human excreta,” said Kapri, one of the victim.
According to police, the four women were tortured as they were accused of practicing sorcery and spreading disease in the village.
“Our police team rushed to the spot and rescued the four women. We also filed cases against the two women and eight men accused of branding four women as witches. We also filed a Court challan against them,” said Bibudhendu Ku Aich, Officer In Charge, Lahunipara.
The Government of Orissa has a law against aiding and abetting witchcraft.
In 1999, the Government also passed an act against witchcraft, “Witch Prohibition Act-1999”, according to which six months imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 rupees can be imposed on a person found guilty of torturing innocent women.
Surprisingly, in most cases the practitioners of witchcraft as well as their victims are women.
While cases of women practicing the occult is known, in most cases it is innocent women who are branded as witches and subjected to torture and even death.
Nov 16, 2005
Ashes of 'Star Trek' actor grounded by dud rocket
"In life, James Doohan was the 'Star Trek' engineer who worked miracles on the Enterprise, but a rocket meant to blast his remains into space has engine trouble.
A Falcon One rocket was to lift the ashes of Doohan, who played engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott aboard the fictional Starship Enterprise, into space next month but the launch has been delayed at least until February, organizers said Tuesday.
'They had an engine test they didn't like so they will do another month of testing,' Charles Chafer of Space Services Inc. told AFP.
Unlike Scotty, who told Captain James T. Kirk in a Scottish accent, 'She'll launch on time and she'll be ready,' the US Department of Defense engineers involved with the rocket mission needed more time to sort out engine problems, Chafer said.
The 'Explorers Flight' launch in California was to follow the launch of an identical rocket this month in the Marshall Islands.
Concerns about an engine on the rocket in the Marshall Islands prompted the additional testing, throwing off the schedule for the originally planned California launch in December, Chafer said.
'We want to fly,' Chafer said. 'But, this will give us the opportunity to accept some additional participants for the ride.'
The Explorers Flight was already billed by Space Services as the largest ever memorial spaceflight, with 168 participants from eight countries aboard.
Doohan, who died in July at the age of 85, had asked that his ashes be launched into the final frontier following his death.
Canadian-born Doohan played engineer Montgomery Scott in the original 'Star Trek' television series that started in 1966 and spawned a decades-long cult following of the show.
Doohan immortalized the starship's engineer, a pragmatically blunt bear of a man who repeatedly managed miraculous repairs while crew members dealt with the adversities and adventures of "space, the final frontier".
Space Services, a Texas-based company, has rocketed the remains of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and 1960s drug guru Timothy Leary into the firmament.
A Falcon One rocket was to lift the ashes of Doohan, who played engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott aboard the fictional Starship Enterprise, into space next month but the launch has been delayed at least until February, organizers said Tuesday.
'They had an engine test they didn't like so they will do another month of testing,' Charles Chafer of Space Services Inc. told AFP.
Unlike Scotty, who told Captain James T. Kirk in a Scottish accent, 'She'll launch on time and she'll be ready,' the US Department of Defense engineers involved with the rocket mission needed more time to sort out engine problems, Chafer said.
The 'Explorers Flight' launch in California was to follow the launch of an identical rocket this month in the Marshall Islands.
Concerns about an engine on the rocket in the Marshall Islands prompted the additional testing, throwing off the schedule for the originally planned California launch in December, Chafer said.
'We want to fly,' Chafer said. 'But, this will give us the opportunity to accept some additional participants for the ride.'
The Explorers Flight was already billed by Space Services as the largest ever memorial spaceflight, with 168 participants from eight countries aboard.
Doohan, who died in July at the age of 85, had asked that his ashes be launched into the final frontier following his death.
Canadian-born Doohan played engineer Montgomery Scott in the original 'Star Trek' television series that started in 1966 and spawned a decades-long cult following of the show.
Doohan immortalized the starship's engineer, a pragmatically blunt bear of a man who repeatedly managed miraculous repairs while crew members dealt with the adversities and adventures of "space, the final frontier".
Space Services, a Texas-based company, has rocketed the remains of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and 1960s drug guru Timothy Leary into the firmament.
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