Berhampur: Days after a 40-year-old man was allegedly lynched by villagers over suspicions of practising witchcraft in Gajapati district, police have launched an awareness campaign in vulnerable villages to combat superstition and prevent witch hunting.The victim, Ram Chandra Mallick of Merma village under Mohana police station limits, was allegedly lynched on Sunday by a group of villagers who suspected him of practising black magic. People reportedly believed that at least three deaths and several illnesses in the village over the past three years were linked to sorcery.Police said the accused allegedly cremated the body at the spot in an attempt to destroy evidence. Twelve persons were arrested on Monday for their alleged involvement in the lynching. “In the wake of the incident, we have decided to conduct awareness programmes against witch-hunting in vulnerable pockets of the region,” said SDPO (R Udayagiri) Rakesh Kumar Sahoo.The campaign aims to discourage people from attributing diseases and deaths to witchcraft and encourage them to seek medical treatment instead of relying on superstition, quacks or self-styled witch hunters, he said.The first awareness programme was held in Merma village, where police sensitised residents about the provisions of the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act, 2013, and other relevant laws. Police officials said the drive will continue in remote rural areas over the coming days to counter superstitious beliefs. Police have also intensified patrolling in and around Merma village and provided protection to the victim’s family members.