A dismembered body of a woman was discovered on Friday near Vidani village in Maharashtra’s Satara district.
This has sparked a police investigation that includes the possibility of black magic or superstition.
Senior Inspector Sunil Mahadik of the Phaltan police station reported that a part of the woman’s head and lower limbs were found near a sugarcane farm. The torso remains missing, and the recovered body parts are in a decomposed state.
“All angles, including black magic and superstition, are being investigated,” said Inspector Mahadik.
The gruesome discovery has caused distress in the local community. Authorities are working to identify the woman and determine the circumstances leading to her death.
Black Magic Cases in India
In Gujarat’s first case under the newly enacted Black Magic Act, a 29-year-old sanitation worker, Ashwin Makwana, was arrested in Dhoraji town, Rajkot district in October, 2025. Makwana performed rituals in a crematorium, uploaded the video to Instagram, and claimed supernatural powers. Enacted on September 2, the law penalizes such acts with imprisonment of six months to seven years. Though non-bailable, Makwana was granted bail.
In Nuapada district’s Portipada village, a 50-year-old man, Kham Singh Majhi, was set on fire by villagers accusing him of practicing black magic, on October 17. Majhi, who sustained severe burns, jumped into a pond and was hospitalized in critical condition. The assault followed a kangaroo court meeting. Police have launched an investigation as villagers fled after the attack.
On October 3, 2024, A woman, D. Muttava, was brutally beaten and burned alive in Katrial village, Medak district, on suspicion of practicing black magic. Assailants blamed her for a relative’s illness, poured petrol on her, and set her afire. Neighbors doused the flames, but she succumbed en route to the hospital. Three accused were arrested, while investigations continue.