Gujarat man booked for performing rituals at crematorium; first FIR under black magic prevention act

Rajkot: The Gujarat police have arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly performing some rituals inside a crematorium and sharing a video of it on social media claiming that he possessed supernatural powers, an official said on Friday.

With this, the police have registered a first case under the new Gujarat Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil, and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, the official said.

The police arrested the accused, Ashwin Makwana, on October 15 after a video of him performing rituals at a crematorium in Dhoraji town of Rajkot district went viral on social media, he said.

Inspector RJ Godham, a complainant in this FIR, confirmed that this was the first FIR registered state under the newly enacted law against black magic and other such activities.

"This new law came into effect on September 2 through a gazette notification, and when we tried to upload the FIR on our eGujCop platform on October 15, we learnt that no code was assigned to that Act. This proves that no FIRs were registered under it before this. A code was generated later, and we became the first police station to file an FIR under it," Godham said.

On August 21, the Gujarat assembly passed the bill to curb the menace of black magic and other superstitious and inhuman practices. It became an act after the governor gave his assent.

In the video, a person is seen performing rituals inside a crematorium run by the municipality in the Kumbharwada area. After some time, he circles a pyre and sleeps on it while reciting some lines.

"During our investigation, we learnt that the person in the video was Ashwin Makwana, a sanitation worker. He uploaded the video on his Instagram account but deleted it after it went viral on WhatsApp.

A local court has granted him bail," the official said.

He said the accused claimed that he always believed in tantric rituals and black magic, but this was the first time he performed such rituals in public and shot a video.

Makwana wanted to create an impression that he possessed supernatural powers and knew black magic. He also wanted to teach a lesson to those who had made fun of his claims in the past, the official said.

Though offences under the Act are cognisable and non-bailable, Makwana was granted bail by the court the next day, he added.

As per the Act, no person shall perform or even promote human sacrifice and other inhuman, evil and 'aghori' practices and black magic, and a person found guilty of such offences will have to face imprisonment of six months to seven years with a fine ranging from Rs 5,000 to 50,000.