In a shocking incident which was reported from Virar East on the outskirts of Mumbai on Monday, a 11-year-old girl suffocated to death after her kin allegedly tried to cure her digestive disorder by using black magic.
The police has arrested victims' parents identified as Meenakshi Bhekre and Ambaji, and her aunt on Wednesday, December 20, under Sections 302 for murder and 202 for hiding evidence.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Jayant Bajbale said, "The incident took place at 2.30 am on Monday when Saniya was sleeping in her house on the fourth floor of Jivdani Prasanna Apartments in Manvelpada."
Going by the police report, the deceased, a class six student couldn't urinate or pass her stool for three days, following which her parents tried some black magic on her. An investigating officer said, "Chanting mantras, Meenakshi and her sister Madhuri Shinde first sprinkled turmeric and red chilli powder on the girl. Her father was overlooking the act."
The officer added, "While Shinde pinned the girl down, Meenakshi covered her mouth with one hand and inserted the fingers of the other hand in her rectum."
"After this, when Saniya stopped responding, the family panicked and took her to Sanjeevani Hospital in Virar," he said further.
The doctors at the hospital declared that the child was brought dead and the issued an interim post mortem report that stated the cause of death to be heart attack.
However the police registered a case of accidental death and the family took the 11-year-old's body for cremation to Raigad.
Meantime, the doctors by Monday evening released a final postmortem report which showed that the minor had injury marks on her private parts, the police said.
The police also briefly detained minor's brother and questioned him, while deceased minor's parents and aunt were arrested on Tuesday. The officials also said that additional charges are likely to be added under the Maharashtra Anti-black Magic Act.
