Police have arrested a 46 year-old man living on the island of Ihavandhoo in Haa Alifu Atoll on suspicion of performing black magic.
Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef today told Minivan News that a man had been arrested Thursday (January 3) on the basis of reports received by authorities.
According to Haneef, the suspect was brought before a judge to decide on his detention period, with the presiding court granting police 10 days to detain the suspect.
Haneef said that lots of tools that could be used to perform black magic, such as documents, books and other materials were found at the suspect’s home.
Local media has reported that the man arrested was believed to be the Imam of the island.
An Ihavandhoo Island councillor has told local media that the suspect, originally from Fuvamulah, had moved to the island of Ihavandhoo last year December.
The councillor alleged that after the suspect arrived on the island, fears had risen among islanders that he had been performing black magic.
The councillor pointed to rumours that had been circulating since the suspect’s arrival on the island that disturbing incidents had been occurring on the island.
Back in June last year, the Maldives Police Service (MPS)Â arrested an opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activist on charges of practising black magic.
The Activist’s arrest at the time was made just days after the MPS had raided the MDP protest camp at Usfasgandu on the basis of “suspected black magic performed in the area”.
A warrant released at the time approved the raid on the basis of evidence alleged to include that people at the site had previously thrown a “cursed rooster” at Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers.
A case is also presently being heard in the country’s courts concerning the murder of a 76 year-old male alleged to have been a sorcerer, whose body was discovered with with multiple stab wounds on the island of Kudahuvadhoo in January 2012.
Back in 1953, Hakeem Didi was executed by firing squad along with some alleged accomplices after they were found guilty of conspiracy to murder by black magic.
The case was the last time the Maldives judicially executed a criminal suspect.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
Police arrest five for drug possession- Man arrested in connection to March 5 unrest
- Four Maldives nationals arrested in Malaysia
- Lawyer Najeeb murdered: Supreme court and AG call for action as public demand death penalty
- Twelve men arrested in Maafannu for gambling
- Police arrest six on suspicion of murder in Kudahuvadhoo sorcerer case
Sorry, but is this satire or did it really happen? If its satire its hysterical. If not, then I'd be really worried.
"The arrest was made just days after the MPS had raided ..." (fourth para from last) it has been months now.. u r reporting it as if it was a recent incident
@macken
"... a man had been arrested Thursday (January 3)..."
ur reading it as if ur head is in somewhere awful.
Kill the witches!
...documents and books...???!!! A prove that someone is fiddling with black magic??
@hipsterzaeem just read my comment fully before showing ur smart a**
This is so funny if the police are serious. Lucky Maldives 🙂
Stop living in the middle ages. There are more important things to deal with in todays society than chasing unfounded alligations of black magic. This is the 21st century and it's about time the Maldives joined the rest of the world in realising Black magic is what fearful uneducated fools use to hold power over their citizens. It doesnt exist except in the minds of the weak and feeble leaders of your country.
Sorry, World.
Be careful ! Wizard of Oz is in action. He probably had Secret Magic portion which can be used to win elections.
me thinks too that this is a case of villifying a stranger by the islanders. they may not like the person, but blaming ppl on whichcraft is very bad.
And so, begins the age of tyrannical oppression, where books and instruments of imparting knowledge are considered 'illegal contraband'.
Macken,
i always read everything "fully" before i comment on it. you should try it sometime. ;p
thnx.
Human develop their brain by interacting the diversity of universe and thorugh human experiences that’s recorded by great thinkers in their highly developed languages. We fishermen are locked in a prison of nature, our brains are not developed to interact with modern world and we think the cause and effect of the nature is controlled by superstitions and with some imaginary supernatural forces that they call the creator of the universe who created the world for stupid human being to bow their heads in respect to this middle age kings like god. The world’s only police and judiciary that go on witch hunting in 21st century. So you can imagine how stupid and ignorant this country is.
Ihavandhoo is a strong hold of MDP and Black Magic here!
Election is coming up!
Gayyoom is Blac Magic mad, loves it and worships it!
But it is also said that he is very cautious and afraid of it too!
So this time it is not going to be the 500 rufiya bill, or the ID Card buying!
WTF??? BLACK MAGIC??? you still believe in that nonsense? grow up people, there are no ghosts or jinns, they exist only in your head. just like pink unicorn, elves, trolls and hobbits.
day by day i am more embarrassed of my country, we live in the 21st century walk around with our Ipad and Iphones, but still believe in superstitious nonsense such as these. its does not good other than rot your brain and keep you primitive.
maldives still live in the stone ages, and a country that claims to be 100% muslims will only remain in the 1400 with the mentality of the primitive desert dwelling arabs.
I knew many sorcerers when I lived in Fua Mulaku and none of them was a person deserving being branded a criminal. Perhaps Ihavandhoo people are just angry against the man whose home island is far away from their own.
Magic was done against fever for example and sometimes the placebo effect worked wonders.
Goes to show just where we are even today, as a nation....!
Can we all look forward to his public beheading, as happened recently to some unfortunate man in Saudi Arabia??
@Xavier Romero-Frias: Fascinating insight, thanks for that. I also believe that this Fanditha - and its dark side - Sihuru - can actually work, have heard many credible eye witness accounts from different cultures of the same kind of thing.
You probably already know that it is striking how in so many cultures, the command of little, demon like men, spirits, creatures is involved, makes me wonder there may be some truth in it??
This command of the little Jinni's (said in Islam to be some kind of spirits made from fire) reminds me of the 'Mabarn' or Kadaitchi men in Australian Aboriginal culture who command Wudaaji men, little red eyed hairy men who do all of this work for the Aboriginal tribal healer or curse creator, which ever it may be.
Santhumariam""""who the f**k is this guy? I dont understand a person like you so called develped brain, worshipping cows, goats, shoes,d**ks,virginas and watever you see.isnt that funny.Limited brain capacity.
And then you open your mouth gaping wide, and ask us to believe in Democracy, Human rights, freedom of speech, freedom from slavery...
Fandita as well as Sehuru is part of Maldivian tradition and culture, and until quite recently the Government would issue certificates to fandita verin who assisted with fishing magic, birth magic and magic associated with possession by jinns. Sehuru lso seemed qute common mainly as love magic and for gaining wealth and government positions. Truly evil magic seemed very rare if it existed at all except in peoples minds.
Hower "little demon like men", as described by Ben, were never part of Maldivian lore.
Magic certainly works on people like Ben as do prayers,amulets and offerings to Gods or to little red eyed hairy men, but only for those who hold such strange beliefs..
And only in the darkest backwaters of the World would anyone be arrested on charges of something as idiotic as practicing "magic", while the possesion of books and papers can be a serious crime in countries such as Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
May God have mercy on the present Government of the Maldives.