Times of India
09 July 2010
By S Ahmed Ali
Mumbai, India

Even as millions of foreigners flock to Mumbai to get medical help, there are several people in the city who believe in black magic. One such case of black magic has come to the fore where a mother of a 14–year–old boy handed over her son, who was suffering from jaundice, to a local tantrik. The tantrik said that some spirits had entered the boy’s body and he could be cured through black magic. The treatment, however, ended in the teenager’s death.

The baba, under the pretext of ridding his body of the spirits, allegedly beat him with bamboos and sticks and made him sleep on a cold floor all through Monday night. On Tuesday morning, he was rushed to Sion hospital in a critical condition. He died on Wednesday evening.

Anand Murgeshwar, a Std VIII student of Babasaheb Ambedkar Boarding School in Ulhasnagar and a resident of transit camp slums in Ramabai Nagar Colony in Ghatkopar, died due to acute liver failure caused by hepatitis B. Anand has two brothers and a sister. His father Ramaswamy died a few years ago. Since the last three years, Anand has been staying in the school hostel in Ulhasnagar.

“Anand was a bright student and he was sent home by the school on Saturday after his health deteriorated. As his fever rose, the local tantrik was called in,” said Rubina Shaikh, who knows Anand’s family.

The tantrik reportedly told Anand’s mother Shashikala that 11 spirits had entered his body and can only be removed by black magic. Hence, he should be given the boy’s custody for one night.

Locals said there were black marks all over the boy’s body due to the beating by the tantrik. “Had he been treated in time at a proper hospital, he would have been safe,” said a relative.

Dean of Sion hospital Sandhya Kamath said, “We have no idea whether the boy was beaten up. He was brought at a very late stage of hepatitis B. There were black marks on the body, probably due to bleeding.”

His mother refused to speak to the media. The Pant Nagar police said they were unaware of any such death.