For six years, Kerala govt has been sitting on draft bill to fight black magic

Bill mandates violations be punished with imprisonment of not less than 1 year
Image used for representational purposes only
Image used for representational purposes only
Updated on
3 min read

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Kerala continuing to witness incidents of black magic, sorcery and religious superstition, the state government has for the past six years been sitting on a draft bill prepared by the Kerala Law Reforms Commission to take action on such activities.

Allegations of sorcery reared its ugly head following the recent double murder in Nenmara, Palakkad, which came as the sequel to a killing first committed in 2019. The accused in all three incidents, Chenthamara, killed his first victim, a woman, after a witchcraft practitioner told him that she was the cause of his family feud. After getting bail, the accused on Tuesday killed the woman’s husband and mother-in-law.

Earlier in the month, his family’s claims that Gopan Swami of Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram had attained ‘samadhi’ kicked off a storm. After the alleged 2022 human sacrifice involving two women in Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta came to light, it revived demand for the state to come up with legislation.

Though the ruling CPM has taken an open stand against superstitious rituals, black magic and human sacrifice, the government has yet to adopt steps to take the draft bill forward. “We drafted the bill after examining legislation passed by states like Maharashtra and Karnataka,” Law Reforms Commission vice chairman K Sasidharan Nair told TNIE.

“We took into consideration various aspects. The proposed bill clamps down on those who indulge in practices that may harm them individually or in the name of caste or religion. The government may have realised the need to tread cautiously,” he pointed out.

That even people’s representative are not above superstition became evident when a nearly two-year video of objects of alleged black magic being unearthed by KPCC president K Sudhakaran and Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan at the former’s house in Kannur surfaced in 2024. Under provisions of the Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill, 2019, no person shall by himself or through any other person, promote inhuman evil practices, black magic or sorcery.

The bill requires police to publish the name and details of offences committed by offenders who are convicted by courts in local newspapers. It also directs the government to undertake programmes to spread awareness in society about the ill effects of black magic and sorcery and to provide proper counselling.

The bill mandates that violations be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year, which may extend to seven years and a fine not less than Rs 5,000, which may extend to Rs 50,000. If a death of a victim occurs Section 300 of the Indian Penal Code would be applicable. The bill empowers a police officer to search any place where he or she has reason to believe that an offence has been committed and seize materials and examine any records.

Law Minister P Rajeeve told TNIE that the state is considering notifying the bill for public hearing. When CPM’s Alathur MLA K D Prasenan tried to introduce a private bill on the Kerala Eradication of Superstition - Evil Practices Bill, 2021, in assembly, the government replied that it was considering the 2019 bill. In 2017, then Congress MLA P T Thomas had also introduced a private bill. The first attempt at introducing legislation happened during the term of the 2006-11 V S Achuthanandan government.

The chief minister’s office said the proposed 2019 bill is now with the law department. “The government will take a call after receiving the opinion of the department,” the CMO said.

Related Stories

No stories found.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com