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Journalism of Courage
A MAHARASHTRA government Excise Department staffer posted at a state-owned industrial unit in Pune recently began suspecting that the water she was consuming at work in her water bottle had been tasting odd. After suspecting foul play, she secretly recorded the activities in her office when she was away to find that a state supervisor had been sprinkling ash on her seat and in her water. She also alleged her supervisor was performing superstitious acts of ‘casting a spell of black magic to control her mind.’
The Walchandnagar police have now launched a search for the suspect, Prashant Ambike, the warehouse in-charge, who is on the run since the incident came to light. Cops have invoked Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013. An FIR was registered earlier this week by a 31-year-old staffer with the State Excise Department who has been posted at a state government run industrial unit in Walchandnagar area of Pune district.
“On July 10, around 4 pm when I drank water from my bottle, it tasted different. I thought the lid might have been left open and I ignored it. But again after two or three days, the same thing happened. But I ignored it again. But from that time I started keeping the water bottle in my bag. However, some days later, I realised that some traces of white powder substance similar to ash sprinkled on the table and chair where I sit.” She said in her complaint.
The FIR further states, “On August 4 again the water tasted strange. Now I had a strong suspicion that someone was mixing something in my water when I was not at the desk and was doing the rounds of the industrial unit premises. I reported this to the Excise Inspector I report to and we then informed the General Manager of the unit. The General Manager assured me that he will look into it and take action.”
Police said that however on August 5, the complainant decided to probe the matter herself. She kept her cell phone concealed at a place where the phone could record the area of her office, a police officer said. “In the afternoon, I and other team members went for a routine check on the factory premises. After I returned, I tasted the water and it tasted odd. Then I checked the recording and I found out that the Warehouse in-charge, Prashant Ambike was sprinkling ash on my desk, chair, the scarf that I use and was then putting it in the water bottle too.”
An officer from Walchandnagar police station said, “After the video recording revealed the act, the factory authorities confronted Ambike about it. He told them that he had read somewhere that by sprinkling ash and by adding it in drinking water one can control the mind of the person to bring the person closer. After the factory authorities asked the complainant to approach the police, an FIR was registered. Initial probe suggests that he was performing superstitious of doing black magic rituals to control her mind and bring her closer to him.”
The officer added, “An offence has been registered under the anti-superstition. The suspect Ambike has been on the run since the incident came to light. We have launched a search for him.”
