Pune woman stripped, smeared with ashes in black magic ritual

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], August 31 : A 31-year-old woman from Pune was allegedly stripped and smeared with ashes by her in-laws, as part of a black magic ritual initiated by a godman who assured them that it would result in her giving birth to a male child.
According to a complaint registered at Chakan Police station in Pimpri Chinchwad, the woman's husband and mother-in-law allegedly took her to a godman in Khed tehsil of Pune district where the godman asked her to eat ashes in front of him and also gave some ashes to her mother in law to be smeared on the woman's body.
Her husband and mother-in-law after reaching home allegedly stripped her naked and smeared the ashes as well as turmeric and kumkum (vermillion powder) on her body as part of the black magic ritual.
A case has been registered at the Chakan Police station of Pimpri Chinchwad based on the woman's complaint against her husband, mother-in-law and the godman.
The woman in her complaint alleged that her in-laws kept harassing her for being unable to give them a male heir for the last four years. She further alleged that they even harassed her for dowry and had sent her back to her parents for several months.
The woman also complained that her husband had also re-married so that he could get a son, without informing or taking her consent.
All the accused have been arrested and booked under section 354, 498(a), 323, 504, 506, 34, 3 and 25 of IPC along with section 3 of Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.
Further investigation is underway.