Chhattisgarh: Woman suspected of black magic made to walk on hot coal

A woman was allegedly made to walk on burning coal and iron nails by her husband's relatives to prove that she did not practice black magic in Chhattisgarh's Durg town, police said on Saturday. The woman, who sustained burns on her legs, was hospitalised after the incident that took place in the Kailash Nagar area of the town on March 20, an official said.

The police have arrested two women and a man, and detained a minor boy, who claimed to be a tantrik, he said. Talking to PTI, the victim, Mamta Nishad, a resident of the Karidih locality here, claimed that her husband's younger brother, his wife and her elder sister-in-law used to harass her by accusing her of being involved in witchcraft. On the night of March 20, when her husband was away, the trio allegedly took her to a tantrik in Kailash Nagar and asked her to prove that she did not indulge in black magic, she alleged.

The victim claimed that the tantrik had made her walk 12 times on burning coal and nine times on a bed of iron nails. The victim informed her husband about the ordeal, following which a police complaint was lodged. A case under sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Chhattisgarh Tonhi Pratadna Nivaran Act has been registered, City Superintendent of Police (CSP) of Durg area Vaibhav Banker said.

The three accused relatives were arrested and the tantrik, who is a minor, was detained, he said, adding that further investigation is underway. The victim, however, raised questions about the police action after the accused were granted bail by a local court and demanded stern action against them.