{
  "id": 832403,
  "title": "‘Can’t victimise women in name of witchcraft': Supreme Court upholds life sentence of murder convict, slams superstition",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/cant-victimise-women-in-name-of-witchcraft-supreme-court-upholds-life",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-14T03:26:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cant-victimise-women-in-name-of-witchcraft-supreme-court-upholds-life-sentence-of-murder-convict-slams-superstition-101786676883626.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court has maintained a life sentence for an Odisha man convicted of murder, deeming the victimization of women as \"witches\" a sign of deep-rooted social prejudice and irrational fear, which must not prevail over reason and the rule of law. The court's bench emphasized that superstition and unfounded beliefs should not lead to the scapegoating of vulnerable women. Balku Oram's appeal was dismissed by the top court, as the evidence proved that he and his co-accused brutally assaulted the victim, resulting in her death. The court expressed deep concern over the persistence of such practices in India's constitutional democracy, stating that when faced with fear or unexplained events, society often chooses to blame a woman instead of addressing the true cause.",
  "summary": "The Supreme Court upheld the life sentence of Balku Oram for murdering a woman in 1998, criticizing society’s tendency to blame women in times of fear and grief",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
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        "published": "2026-08-14T00:50:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/supreme-court-quashes-criminal-defamation-complaint-summon-against",
        "published": "2026-08-14T07:07:35.000Z"
      },
      {
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/wa-couple-win-supreme-court-battle-to-become-same-sex-parents-through",
        "published": "2026-08-14T07:36:28.000Z"
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      {
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/wa-couple-win-supreme-court-battle-to-become-same-sex-parents-through-852335",
        "published": "2026-08-14T07:36:28.000Z"
      },
      {
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        "published": "2026-08-14T10:49:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Trump asks Supreme Court to allow White House ballroom construction",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-allow-white-house-ballroom-construction",
        "published": "2026-08-14T13:25:51.000Z"
      },
      {
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-allow-ballroom-construction",
        "published": "2026-08-14T14:04:01.000Z"
      },
      {
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-allow-white-house-ballroom-construction-883025",
        "published": "2026-08-14T15:35:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}