While the people celebrate Navratri, a festival honouring feminine strength, an incident has surfaced in North Gujarat, where a woman was killed by her family member under the suspicion of being a witch.
The incident occurred at around 2 am in Rampuri village of Bhiloda Taluka in Sabar Kantha district on Monday when the mother of two was shot as she was sleeping in her home. The injured woman was rushed to Bhiloda Cottage Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The local police, responding swiftly, have filed a murder case against the accused, Rajesh alias Rajendra Tabiyar, who is absconding. Three police teams, including personnel from the District DySP, SOG, and LCB, have been formed to apprehend him.
The accused has a record of harassing the victim, frequently accusing her of being a witch. Previous complaints had been lodged against him at Bhiloda Police Station. He reportedly threatened her life, alleging, “You’re a witch, and you must die.”
Going into the specifics of witchcraft, Ahmedabad-based entrepreneur and social activist Ruzan Khambatta told Vibes of India, “Earlier, witchcraft was used to suppress women, and it was one of the tools for character assassination. By this, labelling a woman as mentally unstable. Women were also called a ‘witch’ even when they were having pre-menopause, menopause, pregnancy, etc. Instead of dealing with this medically, people used to say that mata aagayi hai iske andar (Goddess has entered the body).”
Even if we are living in an educated society, the dua (prayers) and witchcraft prevail. “Their major clientele is a section of women, and the family backs them. Whenever a woman is getting seizures, family says that she’s possessed by a witch,” she said.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data from 2017 to 2021 shows that 18 women in Gujarat were killed due to witchcraft accusations. Often, families blame an older woman for the death of a younger family member, leading to accusations of witchcraft and, in some cases, mob lynchings.
Calling for strict action, she told Vibes of India, “We have in the past eradicated dowry and other cruel customs. A few days ago, fortunately, the Gujarat government brought a law (Gujarat Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2024) and other states too in past to tackle this situation. However, the root cause is awareness. The law is there for complaints, but people are not fully aware. Healthcare workers and Anganwadi workers can create awareness to curb this problem.”
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