A Rajasthan court on Wednesday dismissed a petition accusing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of practising witchcraft, and asked the petitioner to seek medical support for his mental health.
The Jaipur Additional Sessions Court upheld the decision of the subordinate court and said there is no sufficient ground for taking action on the petition.
"Prima facie, it does not appear from the statements of the complainant that any offence has been committed against him," the court said, adding that the complainant has presented this petition on purely fictitious grounds.
Petitioner Ashish Saini, an advocate, had alleged that Gehlot had practised witchcraft on him and it had impaired his speech.
The court opined that the mental health of the petitioner is not good and that he should seek medical assistance.
The practice of witch hunting and witch branding is rampant in Rajasthan even though the state had passed a law in 2015 banning the practice.
Earlier this month, a woman was beaten up by her relatives over suspicion of being a witch in Bhilwara district.
