Last week, a strange client came to me to seek legal assistance.
Though a person can look mentally ill, he can still do normal functions like a normal person.
I just listened to him.
He said a Mantrik was after him and was now and then sending a ghost to kill him.
When This ghosts enters in his body, he behaves strangely and violently.
In his mobile, he showed video clips to show how strangely and violently, his legs and face begin to behave when ghost comes in his body.
To me it looked like a case of "Split Personality disorder". I asked if he had consulted psychiatrist.
He showed papers of psychiatrist. He said his psychiatrist has asked him to take medicines whole life but he is not taking any medicines. He has no faith in psychiatrists.
He said he gave several complaints to police but police is not registering FIR
He said he had filed several petitions in High Court, but High Court is not granting him relief.
He files cases on his own because lawyers are not taking his case.
It was difficult to make sense of what he was saying or to understand him.
Then he pulled out a copy of a recently passed law by Maharashtra Government, banning practice of black magic from Maharashtra.
He showed many internet downloaded documents of black magic.
I was just stunned. He was not accompanied by anyone. So I cannot ascertain whether his problems were real or whether these were medical conditions.
I asked him to call me next day. But he never came again.
This brief interaction however left two impressions on my mind.
1) Police are not trained on how to implement laws barring practice of black magic and practice of magic remedies.
2) The police is not trained to implement Mental Health Act. A duty is cast on police to report to medical authorities and to Magistrates of such incidents.
I wish implementations of laws will improve.
Haresh Raichura
11/05/2014