Palghar: Two people arrested for allegedly practising black magic

The district police announced in Palghar on Thursday that it has busted a black magic racket, with the arrest of two people in Vikramgadh on Wednesday.

Police inspector Sunil Nandwalkar of the Vikramgadh police station told PTI that it at about 11 am villagers of Sakhare village informed the police about a witchcraft ritual. The police rushed in and learnt that witch doctors had assured that the villagers would get rich.

Portraits of deities, items used for blackmagic, a skull, bones, currency, three swords, three gelatine sticks, a detonator and an animal skin have been seized, the police official said. Two people were arrested in connection with the incident, while six others fled, the police official said.

Those arrested have been charged under Section 294 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, the police official said. One of the villagers from Vikramgad had complained to the police on Wednesday that his wife had died in 2014 and she was buried in the village cemetery as per rituals of the community.

He said that the accused dug up her grave and took out remnants including her skull and bones which were brought to the specially erected pandal to practice blackmagic rituals. The accused also dug up other graves to collect skulls and bones of other dead people from the village, he said.

The complainant stated that the accused took advantage of the illiteracy of villagers and told them that these rituals would make them rich, the police official said.