The Bombay High Court has reaffirmed that the Maharashtra Black Magic Act is meant to combat harmful and exploitative practices—not to interfere with legitimate religious or spiritual traditions.
This ruling came as the court upheld the discharge of Ramesh Madhukar Modak, a self-proclaimed spiritual guru from Gujarat, who was accused of using fraudulent means to influence followers.
The case stemmed from allegations by Rohan Vishwas Kulkarni, who claimed he had been misled into attending spiritual workshops, purchasing so-called ‘blessed’ CDs, and ultimately suffering mental and physical distress. However, the court found that Modak had no direct interaction with the complainant, and the workshops in question took place before the Black Magic Act was enacted in 2013.
In previous rulings, both a trial court and a revisional court had dismissed the case against Modak, citing lack of evidence and questioning the credibility of the claims. The High Court upheld these decisions, dismissing the appeals filed by Kulkarni and the State, reaffirming that the law was not intended to criminalize religious discourse or voluntary spiritual practices.
