Jharkhand police have planned awareness campaigns to curb witchcraft-related killings in the state.

A directive issued by the Jharkhand police headquarter has asked the government railway police (GRP) to carry out an intensive awareness drive against witch-hunting at all the stations and outposts.

“We received the instruction from the police headquarters and we have directed the two superintendents of railway police (at Jamshedpur and Dhanbad) to start the awareness drive. The objective is to encourage scientific temper and not to believe in superstition that diseases are an outcome of witchcraft. The awareness campaign also instructs masses to consult physicians instead of relying on village quacks and ojhas (sorcerers),” said additional director general (railway) T. Kandaswamy.

There are 25 railway stations and eight railway police outposts falling under the GRP in Jharkhand.

The GRP is the force responsible for policing railway stations and trains of Indian Railways. Its duties correspond to those of the district police in the areas under their jurisdiction, such as patrolling, but only on railway property.

“We have prepared special pamphlets which are carried by our personnel at different parts of railway stations, especially those platforms which witness a large number of trains. Our personnel are also deputed at the ticket counters and other such locations in the railway stations. We also interact with passengers and inform them about the Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act 2001 which is a non-bailable offence,” said Mohammed Zulfikar Khan, a GRPofficial at Ghatshila railway station.

Section 3 of the act prescribes imprisonment of up to three months and/or Rs 1,000 as a fine for “whoever identifies any person as Witch”. For anyone found causing “any kind of physical or mental torture to any person by identifying her as a Witch (Daain), whether deliberately or otherwise,” the act stipulates Rs 2,000 as a fine and/or imprisonment for up to six months.

The act also tried to bring under its ambit the operations of the village ojha by stipulating imprisonment for up to one year and/or a fine of Rs 2,000 for anyone who claims to heal so-called witches.

However, the act has failed to work as a deterrent and despite the presence of the act, people described as witches have been persecuted, tortured and murdered.

According to the data published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) between 2016 and 2021, as many as 94 women were murdered with witchcraft as the motive in Jharkhand, more than in any other state. Madhya Pradesh was second with 75 such cases and Chhattisgarh was third with 69.

“It is not only the GRP but we have instructed the police across all districts, especially those witnessing large numbers of witchcraft-related incidents to create awareness from June. We have not fixed any deadline and would continue to spread awareness and see the outcome in the form of behavioural changes among people in rural areas,” said Jharkhand director general of police Ajay Kumar Singh.