AURANGABAD: The Nanded police have booked eight suspects and arrested two on the charges of performing superstitious acts to unearth hidden treasure that they believed had been buried for centuries.
They have been slapped with the sections of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.
The arrested accused have been identified as one Shivanand Maharaj and his disciple Tirupati Narwade.
The action by the police followed a raid carried out in the Vaka Shivar area, where the eight suspects, including a woman, had gathered on Saturday morning.
Usmannagar police station’s inspector Birappa Bhusnur told TOI, “Following the raid at the spot, where the alleged black magic acts were underway, we arrested a self-proclaimed maharaj and his disciple.” He said the accused will be produced before the court on Sunday for seeking their custody.
Police said that many people believed that the maharaj had supernatural powers.
Many villagers, in fact, said the maharaj had helped people get rich by using his powers.
Police said that though there was information that the suspects may perform a sacrifice, things are likely to get clear only after the arrest of other suspects.
Preliminary probe has revealed that some of the suspects were facing financial problems and wanted to make some quick money by performing black magic to unearth the treasure.