The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has warned the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Maharashtra government over black magic and asked them to submit a requisite report in the case of sorcery and black magic within four weeks, failing which the Commission would be constrained to issue coercive process.Acting on a petition filed by Supreme Court advocate and human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC passed the order recently.Tripathy, has highlighted various incidents of the use of black magic rituals which is alleged to be prevailing in the Konkan region of Maharashtra for getting women conceived. In one such incident, a woman was forced by her in-laws and husband to eat the powdered form of bones from dead humans to conceive a child.However, the police authorities of Maharashtra maintained that no such incidents of black magic have been noticed in the State.In another similar incident, a woman from an educated upbringing even reported to the Sinhgad Road police station in the State that she was forced into taking human bone powder as part of a black magic ritual to conceive.Tripathy, while citing another instance, said one of the women was forced to take a naked bath in full public view by her husband and in-laws as part of a ritual recommended by the local occultist to conceive a son.He also alleged that there is failure on part of the State government in the implementation of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil, and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act.The petitioner requested the NHRC for legal action against the wrongdoers along with compensation to the victims under the State Compensation Scheme, thus ensuring preventive and punitive action with steps taken to eradicate such inhuman and barbaric practice in the State.In his rejoinder, Tripathy referred various media reports and stated if such incidents are reported and widely circulated by media houses, then the media houses should be made accountable and the Press Council be recommended to take action against the media houses for irresponsible reporting.
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