A writ petition was filed in the Madras High Court by a 23-year-old woman who alleged that she fled her home in Madhya Pradesh because her stepmother was planning to kill her as a part of a human sacrifice ritual. She also claimed that her younger brother was killed in a past ritual.
[Human Sacrifice] Woman From Madhya Pradesh Approaches Madras High Court Seeking Police Protection Against Family Members @UpasanaSajeev #MadrasHighCourt #HumanSacrifice https://t.co/HB8TvQezRG
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) February 23, 2023
Alongside Advocate S. Doraisamy and V. Elangovan, the petitioner appeared in court and said her friends helped her escape to Tamil Nadu for her safety.
In the affidavit she filed, the petitioner said that Uttar Pradesh was her birthplace; however, she later moved to Madhya Pradesh with her family. She also said that her father worked in the Agricultural Department but retired in 2017.
She was a student of Government Maharani Laskshmibai Girls' College in Bhopal and said that she held a Master's degree in nutrition and dietetics. Currently, she is pursuing a diploma in Yoga. She claimed that her parents forced her to become a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a right-wing all-India student organization. However, she also said that she left the organization after a while.
The petitioner allegedly accused her stepmother and other relatives of being followers of black magic after coincidentally learning about their intention to kill her to perform a human sacrifice ritual. She also heard about her younger brother's demise, who underwent the same ritual when he was only ten.
Will extend police protection to MP woman claiming that parents plan to 'sacrifice' her: State to Madras High Court
report by @ayeshaarvind https://t.co/lbS7QWP7Kn— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) February 23, 2023
Knowing that her family has strong political connections in Madhya Pradesh, the petitioner lamented that the authorities there would probably fail to grant her legal protection. Fortunately, with the assistance of a Tamil student pursuing a law course in Bhopal, she boarded a train at 3 AM on February 16 and reached Chennai the following day.
She then took refuge in a house of a Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam office-bearer with the help of an anonymous local contact, whose details she refused to disclose for the sake of his safety. "I state that my life is not safe. I cannot return to my native place or anywhere in North India where there is no security for my life," her affidavit read.
After learning about her circumstances, Justice G. Chandrasekharan condemned the fact that even in the 21st century, heinous acts such as human sacrifice are still prevalent in India.
State Public Prosecutor (SPP) Hasan Mohamed Jinnah, who was present in court, assured that the police would provide the necessary legal protection to the petitioner.
The court then ordered notices returnable by three weeks to the petitioner's parents and the Commissioner of Bhopal Police. Mr. Jinnah was also requested to file a status report after three weeks.
