Maha: 9 booked under anti-superstition and black magic act

Police today booked nine members of Jaat Panchayat Samiti of Kashi Kapadi community from Pune on charges of illegally confining a woman and practicing black magic after her husband's death.
The complaint in this regard was lodged at Yeola police station by Komal Varde whose father died in Pune on December 24, an official attached to the police station said.
"The community members forced Komal's mother to have a bath by applying 'ghee' on her head in front of the dead body of her husband, withdraw her ornaments on 10th day after her husband's death and also locked her in a dark room for day-long," the official said.

A case under Indian Penal Code section 342 (wrongful confinement) and section 3(2) of Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act was registered against the members of the Samiti, police said.
They added that Komal, a resident of Padmavati Nagar in Pune, had initially lodged a complaint via email at Faraskhana police station on December 31 but no action was taken.