Staff cries ‘black magic’, civic body gets Hanuman puja done

The Barmer municipal council (BMC) got a Hanuman puja performed on its premises, reportedly to counter the “effects of black magic”.

The puja was performed on Hanuman Jayanti on Tuesday, days after some BMC staff claimed seeing two unidentified women allegedly “performing black magic rituals in the civic body building.”

The council officials confirmed that a puja was performed but refused to comment if it was done to ward off black magic.

Sources in the civic body said that suspecting some wrongdoings, the staff requested the BMC commissioner to organise the puja .

Notably, a number of BMC employees are facing charges of corruption and irregularities.

BMC chairperson Lunkaran Bothra was present at the council office when the puja was performed but did not participate in it, sources said.

Bothra said: “Council employees suggested for a special puja after which it was organised. What is wrong with that?”

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje had ordered a high-level probe into the functioning of the BMC after local residents raised the issue when she visited Barmer in October 2015.

Following the order, a special investigation team led by Jodhpur police commissioner Ashok Rathore was set up in October 2015.

After a preliminary inquiry, eight cases were registered at Barmer Kotwali against several employees of the municipal council. Six employees were arrested. They are now out on bail. Some of them are still suspended.