A 40-year-old man from Thane has been detained for reportedly practising black magic and claiming to have the ability to fight off “evil spirits.” Reports stated that a woman from Kisan Nagar had asked for the Thane man’s assistance for her daughter, who was frequently ill. Despite eight visits to the accused for therapy, her daughter’s condition didn’t improve.

According to the report, the accused had advised the woman to take her daughter and other family members to a crematorium where he would perform rituals to rid them of so-called ‘evil spirits’. For that, they would have to pay Rs 5,000.