Wife tries to kill jeweller hubby by mixing ‘black magic’ herbs in food

Based on the complaint, the RAK Marg police have registered a case against the woman and her siblings, under Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013

MUMBAI: A 56-year-old jeweller from Dadar East has filed a complaint against his wife and her siblings for mixing poisonous herbs to his food which was bought from a ‘black magician’ from Murshidabad in West Bengal with an intent to weaken his physical and mental health and to eventually kill him.

At least eight states in India have enacted laws to deal with the crimes of witch hunting, performing black magic or witchcraft and other superstitious actions that take shape of usual but brutal crimes. Representational image

The man, identified as Somen Roy, also claimed that his wife, Prakti Roy, had withdrawn 2kg gold from their bank locker and stolen ₹25 lakh cash from home.

Based on the complaint, the RAK Marg police have registered a case against the woman and her siblings, under Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.

According to the police, Somen married Prakti in 1989 and they had two daughters and a son. The relations between the spouses had, however, been strained for the past 15-20 years and some disputes were going on between them.

In 2018, he received a phone call from his wife’s sister-in-law, informing him that his wife Prakti, wife’s sister Papiya Burman and brother Subra Roy were in touch with a tantrik from Murshidabad in West Bengal and were regularly buying some ‘magical’ herbs, which initially damages a person’s mental condition and later kills them.

He further told the police that he took a second opinion from several doctors and all of them told him that he was regularly getting infected due to an increase in white blood cells count in his blood.

This opinion of doctors reminded him of the conversation he had with his wife’s sister-in-law. He became suspicious of the fact that his wife had mixed some herbs in his food leading to deterioration of his health. When he confronted his wife, she threatened him, said a police officer.

“Later, when he went to check a locker in one of the nationalised banks. He learnt that his wife had withdrawn 2 kilograms of gold from the locker which was in the joint account operated by him and his wife. The wife had also taken around ₹25 lakh in cash from their house and given it to her brother and her sister,” said a police officer.

The police said they have booked the trio for criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder, cheating and theft and also under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.

“We have registered the offence and are inquiring into it,” said Mahadev Nimbalkar, senior police inspector of RAK Marg police station.