Two Gujarat women accused of witchcraft rescued following efforts from NGO, police

However, the Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha, an NGO that works on eradication of superstitions and exposure of fraudsters deceiving people, came to the rescue of the two women.

Jayant Pandya, who is from the NGO, said they got the details from a local, Paresh Ahir, who said that his relative Jeli Ahir, who visits the dargah near Kim town in Surat, had accused his mother Jashu Ahir and another woman, Devi Thakor, of being witches and being practitioners of black magic and witchcraft.

He said that Jeli Ahir had further accused the two women of therianthropy (belief that a human is capable of transforming into animals), and harassing the villagers. She had allegedly proclaimed that “the truth should come out before it is too late and someone’s life is lost due to the two women”.

Paresh pleaded that the allegations were baseless and that the proclamation by Jeli Ahir had been issued out of personal enmity and jealousy but had resulted in the social boycott of the two women.

The Kothwa dargah, as per Pandya, is said to be famous for “exorcism”. Every Thursday, a large crowd gathers to seek help “in the removal of bad spirits from people allegedly possessed by these unclean spirits”. The dargah sees attendees from Muslim and Hindu believers and it has a large market where attar (perfume), rose water, water, amulets, flowers, handkerchiefs, frankincense, chaadar (sheets) are sold in large quantities, he added.

Pandya then sent a letter to the SP of Rural Surat Police who assured help from the Kosamba police station. Along with the police, members of the jatha and the families of the two women, accused of being witches, reached the dargah.

Inspector MK Swami told The Indian Express, “Jayant Pandya had sought a police escort and they confronted this Jeli Ahir outside the Kothwa dargah. Later, at the Palod outpost, she admitted to the fraud (of falsely accusing women of witchcraft) and the Jatha helped the relatives reach a settlement. No FIR was filed in the matter.”

Jeli Ahir was taken to Palod police outpost of Kosamba police station where Pandya asked her for proof of her accusations. According to a statement from the Jatha on Saturday, Jeli Ahir’s husband, Bhagu Ahir, and her son began apologising on her behalf and after a while, even she admitted to the fraud.

The police then informed them of the legal consequences of their actions leading to the entire family pleading for mercy, apologising to Jashu Ahir and Devi Thakor. The families of the two women agreed not to take recourse to the law and settle the matter since they had to continue residing in the same village, said officials.