Quack booked for using ‘black magic’ to wake up dead woman in Gujarat

The accused, Nashirbhai Pathan and his unidentified accomplice were yet to be arrested. The Godhra police said that the accused were booked under sections 420 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as the section 7 (A) of the Drugs & Magic Remedy Act, 1954.

The police claimed that this was one of the rare instances when the 1954 Act was invoked against the persons practicing “black magic” to mislead innocent victims. The Act makes the practice of using medicines without proper reference, support and safety a cognizable offence and a jail term of up to six months, as such practice could be harmful to the health and well-being of the victim.

As per the case detail, a woman, Janiben Baberia was bitten by a snake at her residence in Bandibar village in Dahod taluka and was taken to a government hospital in Dahod where she died. When her dead body was lying in the post mortem room of the hospital, her husband brought in two quacks who claimed to make her live again though the use of occult practices. The accused duo performed “magic” on the dead body of the deceased, using incense sticks and other materials, well inside the post mortem room of the government hospital. The incident took place on August 8 and was reported in the local media.

A Godhra-based doctor and member of the NGO, Humanist Rationalist Association which works towards fighting superstition, Sujaat Vali wrote to the governor, chief minister and the prime minister highlighting the incident and sought action against the quacks.

“The incident is a mere ugly reflection of the superstition and blind faith prevailing in our society. It could result in the loss of many more lives because after snake bite, people will be led to false god men and dhutaras instead of being taken to a hospital,” Vali said.

Godhra A division police inspector Parakramsinh Rathod said police approached Vali based on his application and assisted him in filing the FIR. “This could be a rare instance when the Drugs & Magic Remedy Act has been used in the state to book a person for a crime like this.
After thorough consultation, we came across the Act that best suits the crime. The Act makes such practice a cognizable offence and a jail term of up to six months,” he said. The case has been transferred to Dahod for further investigation, he added.