Today(6th September),The Gujarat High Court urged the State government to quickly implement and publicize the new law aimed at curbing black magic and related practices. The law, officially named the Gujarat Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman Practices Act, 2024, seeks to protect citizens from harmful rituals.
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Gujarat: Today(6th September), the Gujarat High Court called upon the State government to expedite the implementation and public awareness of the newly passed law targeting black magic and other superstitious or inhumane practices in Gujarat.
The law, formally known as the Gujarat Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2024, was highlighted during a court hearing, where the bench emphasized the urgency of enforcing the law to protect citizens from dangerous, fraudulent rituals.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice (CJ) Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi underscored the importance of swiftly rolling out the legislation.
In their ruling, they stated-
“Section 11 of the Act authorizes the State government to create rules to implement its provisions. The rules are expected to be issued promptly to ensure the Act’s effective enforcement.”
This strong directive from the court is part of a broader legal effort to address unlawful practices prevalent in the State, often in the guise of religious or supernatural rituals. In particular, the law targets harmful activities like human sacrifice, which are sometimes carried out by individuals posing as godmen, tantriks, or aghori practitioners.
Public Awareness Campaign Called For
In addition to pressing for swift action on the rules, the Court also highlighted the need for a robust public awareness campaign to ensure that citizens are well-informed about the protections the new law offers.
The court order emphasized-
“We also mandate that the State government widely publicize the Act and its rules using all forms of communication, including electronic and print media, such as newspapers, social media, and Doordarshan, over an adequate period to ensure the public is informed about the protections provided under the Act.”
This directive places significant responsibility on the State government to use both traditional and digital media to spread awareness about the law, ensuring that citizens can benefit from its provisions and are protected from exploitation by fraudulent individuals or groups.
The court’s order stems from a plea filed by the Akhil Bhartiya Andhashraddha Nirmool Samiti, a public trust dedicated to combating superstitions and inhumane practices. The petitioner had raised concerns about the prevalence of unlawful tantrik activities within the State, noting that many of these activities involve fraudsters who claim supernatural powers and exploit vulnerable individuals.
The petitioner highlighted that these activities often involve dangerous rituals, which in some cases include the sacrifice of young children and women. These fraudulent godmen, known as aghoris, ojhas, bhuvas, and tantriks, prey on the ignorance and fear of people, manipulating them into participating in or condoning horrific practices.
The fight against superstitions and black magic gained momentum when the court previously addressed the absence of dedicated legislation to curb such activities. In an order dated July 7, 2023, the Court sought the State government’s response to the issue, questioning why no specific law had been enacted to combat these superstitious practices. Responding to the court’s direction, the Gujarat government moved swiftly to pass a Bill aimed at eradicating these inhumane practices.
The Gujarat Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2024 was officially passed by the Gujarat Assembly on August 21, 2024, and notified in the Official Gazette on September 2, 2024.
This landmark legislation aims to protect citizens from “evil and sinister practices thriving on ignorance” and seeks to-
“eradicate human sacrifice and other inhuman, evil, sinister and Aghori practices propagated in the name of so-called supernatural or magical powers or evil spirits commonly known as black magic by conmen.”
The Gujarat High Court expressed its optimism regarding the future enforcement of the law, remarking that it expects the State government to implement the legislation effectively and with integrity.
The Court noted-
“It is expected that the provisions of the Act will be implemented in its true letter and spirit.”
- Advocate Harsh K Rawal, representing the petitioner.
- On behalf of the State of Gujarat, Government Pleader GH Virk represented the government’s stance in court.