Man Forces Wife To Bathe Naked In Public To Conceive Male Child

A man has been accused of forcing his wife to bathe naked in public to help her conceive a male child in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India.

The unnamed woman was reportedly taken to a shaman in Jayasingpur, Kolhapur district in Maharashtra by her husband and her in-laws to find out why she's been unable to give birth to a male child.

The alleged healer subsequently asked them to perform a religious ritual, claiming that the woman was under the influence of black magic. After performing rites at their home, the shaman then asked the family to make the woman bathe naked under the Maleshwar waterfall in Ratnagiri district, in full view of the public. The occultist assured them that the act would result in her giving birth to a male child, Hindustan Times reported.

Following this, after her husband and in-laws forced her to bathe naked in public, the woman filed a complaint on Sunday, Aug. 21, against her partner's family and the shaman. Based on her complaint, the officers have lodged a first information report (FIR) under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Black Magic Act.

In the police complaint, the woman alleged that her in-laws have been harassing her since 2013 for her dowry and for not giving birth to a male child. She further alleged that her husband had taken a loan amounting to US$93,886 (75,00,000 Indian Rupees) by mortgaging her property and forging her signature. In addition to this, she added that he had also taken away her jewelry so he could pursue businesses, Colors of India reported.

Based on the woman's complaint, four people including the woman's husband, the man's 64-year-old father and 62-year-old mother, and the shaman have been arrested.

In addition to this, police officers have also registered cases under sections 498A (cruelty by the husband or his relatives), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 420 (cheating and dishonestly), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC, along with section 3 of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act of 2013.

A further investigation into the incident is underway.