Kerala High Court Asks State If It Contemplates Law Against Black Magic
The Kerala High Court has sought the state government's stand regarding its earlier submission that it was contemplating legislation against evil practices like black magic and sorcery.
The Kerala government had filed a submission in October 2022 while hearing a plea by an organisation called Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham, which had sought the enactment of a law against such practices.
The petition was dismissed in June 2023 due to no one representing the petitioner organisation, but was later restored.
When the matter came up for hearing before a division bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji on June 3, the court directed the government to file an affidavit regarding the state's stand in respect of its earlier position that it was contemplating to enact a law on the subject.
The bench posted the matter on June 24.
The organisation, in its plea, has stated that the Law Reforms Commission, headed by Justice (retired) KT Thomas, had submitted a comprehensive report to the State of Kerala in the year 2019, with legislative recommendations based on new social conditions.
"The Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill-2019, is one of the recommended statutes. But so far, no attempt has been made on the part of the state on the matter," the organisation has claimed.
The plea was filed in 2022 in the wake of a ritual human sacrifice of two women in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala by three people, including a couple.
The petition has claimed that laws against sorcery and black magic have been passed by the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
It has also sought a declaration that "films on big screens and OTT platforms, and several serials and other telefilms, aired on television channels and YouTube, having content of superstitious beliefs, including sorcery and occult practices, exempting those having good intentions and having good artistic values, are illegal".
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