CUTTACK: Expressing concern over the rise in atrocities and killings on the superstition of witchcraft, the Orissa High Court has issued a set of guidelines to deal with the menace.A Division Bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice BN Mohapatra has directed that the guidelines be strictly followed by the authorities till a suitable legislation is passed by the State Government. The State Government shall introduce an appropriate Bill in the Legislature within one year, the Bench ordered.The guidelines stipulate that whosoever forces a woman to drink or eat inedible or obnoxious substances on the allegation that she is a witch shall be punished under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). No one can call anyone a witch or being possessed. If atrocities are committed on such basis and any person uses force to evict the victim from her house, the perpetrators will be dealt with harshly under IPC. The authorities shall initiate appropriate action in accordance with the law by lodging complaint in the police station. The authorities shall also prevent any person from acting as ‘tantric’ or a witch doctor in the area and performing ritual to exorcise anyone from the evil spirit or conducting any other ritual on behalf of any person with the intention to harm. The person shall be prosecuted under the IPC.The investigating agency in cases, involving allegations of witchcraft in order to avoid witnesses turning hostile, shall get their statements recorded under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the court ruled. It stated that the directions were not exhaustive and should be followed by a comprehensive legislation. Public awareness programmes should be launched in the villages to eradicate the superstition of witchcraft. Health camps should also be organised to detect the psychologically-fragile which often leads to false accusations of one being witch or possessed.The directions came in response to two PILs seeking enactment of a law and issuing of guidelines by the Government to tackle witchcraft. The court had earlier completed hearing and reserved its order. One of the petitioners Sashiprava Bindhani had submitted that women were not only victimised and ostracised on accusations of being witches, they were also subjected to gruesome torture and humiliation. Between 2007 and 2011, more than 20 killings had taken place in the State.While neighbouring states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have enacted strong laws, the Odisha Government is yet to take the social evil seriously, she alleged.
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