A 21-year-old Andheri woman’s brother accused her husband and a tantrik of inflicting fatal injuries on her under the pretext of exorcism. The deceased’s husband Salim Khan, 26, allegedly sought the help of the tantrik when she failed to bear him a child. The tantrik, Chand Khan, is reported to have subjected the woman to extreme forms of physical torture. According to the complaint, he forbade her family to get her any form of help for 12 hours, after which she was admitted to Cooper Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The deceased’s brother Jamaal said, Salim Khan married Salma two years ago. But when Salma failed to conceive, Salim allegedly sought out Chand Khan, a tantrik known for his so-called exorcism skills. According to Jamaal, Chand Khan convinced Salim that his wife was ‘possessed’ and he needed to carry out certain rituals so that her body is purged of the evil spirits. This, he said, would definitely help her conceive. Convinced by the tantrik’s promises, Salim allowed his wife to be ‘treated’ by him. Jamaal alleged that Chand Khan first tied Salma to a pillar, then hit her repeatedly with a stick and then began branding her with a hot iron rod. This went on for an hour till Salma became unconscious.
Chand Khan then ordered Salim to stay away from her for 12 hours. “He also forbade him from giving her any food, water or getting her any medical aid,” says a disconsolate Jamaal. “According to the tantrik the evil spirit was supposed to flow out of Salma’s body with the blood.” Salma was admitted to Cooper Hospital on March 17 and died on Sunday. Hospital sources however said Salma died due to septicaemia following a C-section. There is no mention of the injuries she is said to have received.
MumbaiMirror
Basic education could really do a lot to alleviate the world of this sort of tragedy. Having such a fundamentally skewed view of the world, haunted by supernatural demons, is bound to make one seek out drastic solutions to these problems. The widespread prevalence of charlatans claiming the ability to diagnose and treat these cases only exaccerbates the situation further.
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