Maharashtra: Police To Appoint Special Officers For Investigating Human Sacrifice And Superstition Cases Under New Order

Mumbai: Rationalists have welcomed the recent order by the Maharashtra police to appoint a special investigating officer at every police station to detect and investigate cases under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.

In a directive passed on July 19, the state home department has asked the police administration to appoint the officers. The officers have to be of the rank of inspector or above.

In August 2013, the founder of the rationalist Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti was shot dead in Pune. In response, the state government enacted an ordinance to try crimes where babas, tantriks, faith healers, and mantriks cheat citizens through superstitious acts promising cures for diseases and other problems. The government also promised special police officers to enforce the law.

Madhav Bavge of the Samiti said they had campaigned for 18 years for a law to stop crimes relating to superstitions, miraculous cures, and magical remedies. "We welcome the order to appoint special police officers to try such offences. The police have taken the first step to implement the law with force," said Bavge.

Rationalists said that over 500 offences have been registered under the new law and a few accused have been convicted.

Apart from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar have similar laws. However, there is no central law to try offences related to witchcraft, occult, and superstition. Provisions for murder are used in cases where such practices lead to deaths. Rationalists say this is inadequate. They have asked the central government to pass a law similar to the Maharashtra law.

On May 10, a special CBI court in Pune sentenced two assailants of Dr Dabholkar to life imprisonment. However, rationalists have said that the masterminds of the murder have not been tried in the courts.