Kerala panel seeks public suggestions on law to curb black magic, harmful practices

An expert committee constituted by the Kerala government has invited suggestions from the public and stakeholders for framing a law to prevent black magic, sorcery and inhuman practices in the state. The panel, set up as per a government order dated November 12, 2025, is tasked with recommending legislative measures to curb harmful practices carried out in the name of superstition, officials said. The committee comprises K Sasidharan Nair, vice chairman, Kerala Law Reforms Commission and Jacob Punnoose, retired IPS officer, among others. As part of its work, the panel has prepared a provisional list of 34 harmful practices, classified into three categories based on severity. Category A includes severe offences involving grave bodily harm, sexual violence and life-threatening acts carried out under the guise of occult practices, such as human sacrifice, torture, and denial of essential medical treatment. Category B covers practices involving physical harm, coercion and degrading treatment, including forced exorcism, witch-branding, and abuse rooted in superstition. Category C pertains to regulatory and financial offences such as fraud, extortion, and exploitation through false claims of supernatural powers, including fake healing, misleading predictions, and digital manipulation. The provisional list has been published on the website of the Kerala Law Reforms Commission for public reference. The committee has urged people, organisations and other stakeholders to submit their written opinions and suggestions by April 27, 2026. The proposed legislation aims to address a wide range of exploitative and harmful practices while ensuring legal safeguards against their misuse, sources added. The three-member expert committee had been constituted to study the feasibility of enacting a law to curb black magic, witchcraft, sorcery and other inhuman practices carried out in the name of supernatural powers. As per a government order issued on November 12, 2025, the panel had been mandated to examine various dimensions of the proposed legislation, including its social implications as well as legal and constitutional aspects. The committee had also been assigned to review similar laws implemented in other states and assess a draft bill prepared on the basis of recommendations by the Kerala Law Reforms Commission, which was headed by KT Thomas.