Witch Hunting Laws in India: A Comparative Study

Social exclusion and gender-based violence are two of the most prominent forms of witch hunting in modern India, but historically it was associated with the witch trials in Europe. This research provides a comparative analysis of witch-hunting activities in India and the United Kingdom, evaluating their historical roots, socio-cultural factors, and judicial responses. Using a doctrinal and comparative methodology, the paper analyses legislation, judicial processes and key human-rights concepts in both countries. While the UK is an example of the historical process of moving from criminalization of claimed witchcraft to its eventual legal and societal repudiation, India is still confronted with witch-related allegations based on superstition, patriarchy, property conflicts and social marginalization. The paper contends that India’s fragmented legislative framework and continuing socio-cultural vulnerabilities call for a holistic, rights-based approach that integrates criminal justice, victim protection, awareness raising and social reform. The comparative research shows that the successful eradication of witch hunting involves not only legal banishment but also a continuous restructuring of the social structures and ideas that permit such violence.