A complaint was filed in Pune against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday under the Black Magic Act 2013 and Sections 415 (Cheating) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code.
A woman named Aarti Sachin Kondre lodged the complaint, accusing Gandhi of deceiving the public during his speeches in April and May by promising money in their bank accounts.
"On July 1 morning, all poor Indians check your bank account and by magic, you all will get ₹8,500. Similarly, in August, September, October, November, December ... you will get ₹8,500 each...khatakhat khatakhat khatakhat," Kondre quoted Gandhi as saying.
Kondre stated she saw the video on television and later on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, etc. "Due to this video, several women in my area thought Gandhi would send money to their bank accounts using black magic, and this created trust for the Congress party in their minds. Later, they understood that they wouldn't get the promised money and that they were deceived. They urged me to take appropriate action in this regard. So, I have lodged a case."
Speaking with The Free Press Journal, Kondre's lawyer Satya Muley stated, "How can Rahul Gandhi talk of offering money to people by magical methods and also talk of protecting the Constitution of India in his narrative? This is like cheating illiterate, downtrodden, underprivileged citizens of India by exploiting the methods of blind faith, offering money to secure their votes by active influence. This is a crime under the Prevention of Black Magic Act and also under Sections 415 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code. Such methods are dangerous to Indian democracy, and the Constitution of India has provisions to eliminate such practices."
