Maharashtra: Girl forced-fed buffalo dung by exorcist to get rid of ‘evil spirit’

To exorcise 'evil spirit', a 17-year-old girl fed buffalo dung in Maharashtra's Latur.

Mumbai, June 14: One more bizarre case of superstition has come to light from Latur district in Maharashtra, where a 17-year-old girl was forced to eat buffalo dung allegedly to exorcise evil spirits who had possessed her.

The incident took place in Dhangarwadi village, near Chakur, in the district last week, and came to light after a villager lodged a complaint with the local police.

As per reports, the girl and two other women relatives were accused of being haunted by evil spirits as they regularly pick up fights with the menfolk in the household.

Thus their relatives forcibly took them to a tantric (godman) to a village in neighbouring Karnataka's Bidar district who claimed he could exorcise the evil spirits from the women.

When the girl protested, the tantric became furious and ordered her to be tied down. As her relatives pinned and tied her down, the tantric allegedly forced globs of buffalo-dung into her mouth which she choked and swallowed.

During the bizarre ritual, the girl allegedly named a person who was practicing black magic in her village, affecting both humans and cattle.

When that person learnt of the developments, he feared for his safety and lodged a complaint with the police last Sunday, naming at least five accused in the matter.

Investigations have been launched and police teams have fanned out in neighbouring villages to trace out some of the absconding accused.

A secret video recording of the incident has gone viral on social media and several civil society members, including Hamid Dabholkar, son of slain rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, have strongly condemned it and demanded action in the matter.

OneIndia News