The Pune rural police have arrested six persons for allegedly forcing a labourer to bring his six-foot-tall minor daughter to pose as Goddess Lakshmi for a superstitious ritual. Police arrested six persons on Thursday under various sections of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013. Lakshman Bhau Dhaygude (50), a resident of Tardoli village in Baramati, who is the father of the minor, lodged the complaint at the Wadgaon Nimbalkar police station. Police accordingly arrested six persons identified as Nana Maturi Kolekar, Digambar Bhapkar, Mahadev Bajirao Bhapkar, Bhausaheb Sonvalkar, all residents of Baramati, and Popat Shivram Nale and Vikas Dadaram Mohite of Satara district. Search is on for two more persons in this case. [related-post] Police inspector Vijay Jadhav is investigating the case. Police said the suspects were looking for a tall girl to perform the superstitious ritual hoping they’d gain wealth by performing it. This led them to contact Dhaygude, a labourer in Tardoli village, a month-and-a-half ago. Police said the suspects forced Dhaygude to bring his daughter for the rituals. They wanted his daughter to pose as Goddess Lakshmi so that prayers could be offered to her, said police, adding that the suspects believed that this would usher in prosperity for them. However, as suspects forced Dhaygude to make his daughter participate in the ritual, he got scared and approached the police, lodging a complaint against them. Investigation, so far, has revealed that the suspects are farmers and have no history of black magic activities. Police is probing how and why they decided to perform such rituals. "We have arrested six persons so far. The court has remanded them to police custody till May 30 for further investigation," said Inspector Jadhav.
