KOZHIKODE/KOLLAM: A decade ago, a group of people from Valancherry in Malappuram approached the Tirur DySP to complain about a sorcerer who used to give a small quantity of water as medicine to his ‘patients’ after spitting into it.
On inquiry, the DySP was surprised. There were several utensil stores near the sorcerer’s house and close to 5,000 litres of water were given as medicine every day. The sorcerer was summoned to the DySP’s office the very next day. The man clad in a kurta had a strong physique. A ‘detailed’ interrogation revealed that he was a porter at Valanchery. He confessed that he had no magical powers and had begun his venture after returning from Ajmer. Following strict warning, he shifted his office to Thrissur district and the business flourished there within a month.
Interestingly, the same police officer had a totally different experience a few years later when his house in Kozhikode was robbed. After attacking his wife, the gang snatched close to 56 sovereigns of gold. When the probe failed to yield any breakthrough, a civil police officer adviced him to approach a sorcerer at Chundel in Wayanad. “I scolded him severely, but the policeman persisted. He took me to the sorcerer, who was staying atop a hill. The sorcerer said the culprit was one of my close relatives and we could arrest him within three months. He asked me to donate a traditional lamp, if his prediction turns true,” the former SP said, preferring anonymity. Around 20 months later, while the officer was serving in Wayanad, he came across a similar theft. “The modus operandi was exactly the same. During the enquiry, I was shocked to find that the main conspirator behind the robbery in house was none other than my elder brother’s son,” he said.
According to the official, they were able to nab the culprit as a similar theft had occurred in Wayanad. “But, this prediction was enough for many people to project the sorcerer as a God Man with powers,” he said.
Despite being hailed as a state with high literacy rate and progressive outlook, sorcery thrives to be a lucrative business here. People flock to these ‘divine’ men irrespective of religions or caste to cure various ailments including infertility and mental disorder, finding treasure, regaining the wealth lost in business, to separate the lovers and so on. Out of superstition people are ready to pay hefty amounts to these ‘God Men’.
Recently, police caught Ibrahim Thangal, a sorcerer from Kayamkulam, who used to heal people’s ailments with a few coconuts, flowers and eggs. A couple even offered him `17.25 lakh for performing rituals to cure their infertility.
While in custody Thangal told Ochira sub inspector Vinod K that he could help him catch ‘Aadu’ Antony, a notorious criminal, who is absconding.
To impress their clients some of these fraudsters procure exotic snakes, shells and even antique lanterns. Vijayalal Swami was caught redhanded while procuring a sand boa from a Karnataka native to improve his ‘business’ in Ochira a few weeks ago.