Elderly man accused of black magic forced to stand on hot coals

Public outrage in India over video of man being forced onto burning coals as a large crowd watches during a religious event

A still from the distressing video of a man being forced to walk on a bed of burning coals as a crowd cheers in India (Screengrab)

A 75-year-old man in India suffered burns after local residents forced him to stand on hot coals after they suspected him of being a witch doctor in western India’s Maharashtra state.

A distressing video of the incident in Thane district, just 28km outside India’s bustling financial capital Mumbai, has gone viral on social media and led to outrage, with some calling it “barbaric”.

The footage showed dozens of men forcing the shirtless elderly man to stand on a bed of burning coals, holding him by the arms and pushing him forwards, as a huge crowd cheered to the sound of drum beats.

His ordeal lasted for several minutes before he was let go and subsequently his family approached the police.

A complaint has been registered against those involved under provisions of the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act 2013 and other sections of the Indian Penal Code, a police official said.

Firewalking has often been tied to superstitious beliefs as well as tests of strength, courage and purity.

The family of the man alleged that around 15-20 men barged into his house and took him to where the religious event was taking place, police inspector Pramod Barbar told the Press Trust of India.

He said the man was suspected of practising black magic by some locals, who beat him up before taking him to perform the superstitious ritual. The man suffered burn injuries on his feet and his back.

Many people on social media said they were shocked, with one person questioning why some Indian communities still believe in “regressive” practices.

“Where are we heading to,” an Instagram user said, adding that it was difficult to “imagine how barbaric people can be” and demanded strict punishment against those involved.

Another user said: “They wanted to punish him but resorted to another act of superstition instead of allowing the law of the land to take action. We are regressing by the day.”

In remote and rural parts of India, allegations of witchcraft and black magic have often led to deaths and mob lynchings.

In 2020, two people accused of practising witchcraft were beheaded and set on fire in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. The man and woman victims were blamed for causing the death of a teenage girl and the illness of another by using black magic.

While there is no country-wide law that deals with crimes related to witchcraft, superstition, or occult-inspired activities, several states where such practices are prevalent have passed state-specific laws. Bihar, Maharashtra and Kerala have all passed laws that criminalise such practices.