Witchcraft Exploitation: Pune Woman Cheated of Rs 35 Lakh, Police Invoke Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act
Chandan Nagar, 19th January 2024: Pune police have registered a case under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 against five individuals accused of cheating a woman out of Rs 35 lakh. The accused allegedly exploited the woman’s fears of witchcraft, claiming that her child, suffering from a mental disorder, needed rituals for a cure.
The accused have been identified as Charudatta Sanjay Marne (31, resident of Ambegaon), Poonam Ghanshyam Kohnde (38), Neelam Rahul Jadhav (35, resident of Karvenagar), Devika Amit Junnarkar (30, resident of Kothrud), and Santosh Maruti Yenpure (45, resident of Warje Malwadi).
The complaint was filed by a woman residing in the Chandan Nagar area, whose son was reportedly suffering from a mental disorder. The accused, under the guise of solving family problems and curing the child, convinced the woman that certain rituals needed to be performed. Subsequently, they extorted Rs 35 lakh from her over time.
Further exploiting the situation, the accused demanded an additional Rs 50 lakh, claiming that a human sacrifice was necessary to avert the family’s annihilation. They instilled fear in the woman by suggesting that failure to perform the sacrifice would result in the death of her son and husband. Frightened by the alleged threats of witchcraft, the woman attempted suicide. Eventually, she filed a complaint with the police.
Assistant Police Inspector Bhagwan Kamble is leading the investigation into the case. The accused are likely to face charges under The Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 for exploiting the victim’s fears and fraudulently obtaining a significant sum of money from her.
