The Gujarat government has informed the High Court that it will introduce a draft bill in the next session of the assembly to address black magic practices and ‘aghori’ activities.
In an affidavit responding to a PIL seeking action against tantrik activities by fraudsters posing as godmen, aghoris, ojhas, and bhuvas, and the enactment of legislation for the same, the state Home Department stated that senior officers met on July 23 to discuss the matter.
The affidavit, dated July 31, states, “It is most respectfully submitted that the draft bill for enactment to curb black magic and inhuman activities such as Aghori practices will be brought up in the next session of the Gujarat legislative assembly.”
The matter was last heard on August 2 and will be reviewed again on August 23 by the division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal.
The PIL, filed by Akhil Bhartiya Andhsraddha Nirmool Samiti, calls for action against unlawful tantrik activities in the state. It alleges that certain fraudsters who pose as godmen, aghoris, ojhas, and bhuvas deceive people through their rituals and, in some cases, even engage in the sacrifice of children and women.
The PIL provides instances such as a minor girl tortured to death by her father and uncle as part of an occult ritual, a farmer couple who ended their lives in a brutal act of human sacrifice, and a witch doctor who maimed and killed a two-month-old baby girl.
The petitioner requests that the court direct the introduction of legislation to curb such inhumane activities, which are reportedly prevalent in tribal areas of Gujarat. It cites similar laws in neighboring Maharashtra, as well as Karnataka, Orissa, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Assam.
The petitioner contends that the Gujarat government’s ignorance and inaction constitute a violation of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, 25, 26, and 51A(H) of the Constitution.
