Stripping of women accused of witchcraft is a stain on the constitution: Supreme Court verdict

The Supreme Court held that every case of inhuman and degrading incidents against women accused of witchcraft may violate the spirit of the Constitution. |Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the stripping, severe beating and public humiliation of two women in rural Bihar in 2020 was a stain on the spirit of the Constitution of equality and dignity.

Justices CT Ravikumar and Sanjay Karol condemned the Patna High Court for staying the criminal proceedings against the accused and the Bihar government for not pursuing the case and seeking justice for the woman.

“Witchcraft is deeply intertwined with superstition, patriarchy and social control, and it is not surprising that such accusations are most often leveled against widows or older women. In his 19-page judgment, Judge Carroll noted that the reasons for the casting There are many reasons such as defamation, caste-based discrimination, retaliation for violation of social norms, etc.

The Court held that every inhumane and degrading incident against a woman accused of witchcraft could violate the spirit of the Constitution.

“Dignity is at the core of an individual’s existence in society. Any act that undermines dignity by the actions of others or the state may be contrary to the spirit of the Constitution of India.

“Events like the one before us, and the many others that cross our desks, make us aware of the reality that, wherever we act through legislative, administrative and judicial action to protect vulnerable groups in society, in this context women are subjected to Exploitation, the effects of which have not yet penetrated to the grassroots level,” the court said.