Odisha Assembly passes anti-witch hunting Bill

“Women have been killed, tonsured, sexually abused and put to unbearable punishment after branding them witch,” Das said.

Das, who introduced the bill on behalf of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who holds the home department, said such incidents also take place in states like Haryana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Assam and Andhra Pradesh.

The bill which was debated for about four hours in the evening session of the assembly, prohibits witch-hunting and practising witchcraft.

“Whoever forces any woman, branding her a witch, to drink or eat any inedible substance or any other obnoxious substance or parade her with painted face or body or commits any similar acts which is derogatory to human dignity or displace from her house, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but may extend to five years and with fine,” the bill said.

The bill also has provisions of penalty for a witch doctor, a person who claimed to be black magician.

The punishment would be harsher for a person committing a crime under this bill for a second time.