Bhubaneswar, Jan. 31 -- The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) held that the use of the term 'Dahani', meaning witch, should be treated as a criminal offence and issued a set of strict directions to strengthen measures against witch-hunting practices in the state.

The directions were issued on Friday while hearing a case dating back to 2018.

After admitting the petitioner's application, the Commission undertook a comprehensive review of the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act, 2013, along with the Composite Action Plan notified in 2014 for its implementation.

During the review, the OHRC observed that the existing legal framework lacks clear and effective provisions to fully eliminate superstitious practices such as witch-hunting....