Notice to Punjab on plea seeking check on ‘black magic’

The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a response from the Punjab government on a plea seeking measures to check persons indulging in “black magic” and luring innocent people in the state

Chandigarh :The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a response from the Punjab government on a plea seeking measures to check persons indulging in “black magic” and luring innocent people in the state.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a response from the Punjab government on a plea seeking measures to check persons indulging in “black magic” and luring innocent people in the state.

The high court bench of justice Vinod S Bhardwaj has sought response by July 15 on a plea from one Dr Baldev Singh Cheema, a resident of Sirsa in Haryana and two other Punjab residents.

The plea also seeks legal action against all such persons who are indulging in “illegal religious activities”. The plea cites example of one such instance where two infants were allegedly murdered by people doing “black magic” in the name of religion for which an FIR was registered in March 2017 and accused was later convicted for 20 years in jail.

Their counsel SL Chander Shekhar submitted that several persons are issuing advertisement on social media as well as electronic media that they can solve any problem with “black magic” and lure the innocent people to achieve their illegal goal which is against the Constitution as the Article 25 provides freedom to religion subject to public order morality and health.

Shekhar pointed out that several persons are professing the “black magic” and openly declaring that they can solve problems with the help of their “tantrik power and black magic power” by causing loss to some other persons. Money is extorted from illiterate people by making claims and advertisements on the wall of bridges, electricity poles and other common places and even on the electronic media where they give advertisement that they can solve any problem with the help. It does not stop here, they also give guarantee that results would be there in 5-7 days, which results in gullible people falling prey to such persons, he said.