Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, — (a) “Witch” means a woman, locally known as “Dahani’, “Dayan” or otherwise, who has been identified by any person or persons believing her to be in possession of, or is having, any evil power for causing any harm to any person or his property; (b) “Witch craft” means use of supernatural or magical power with evil intention to call up spirit or cast spell or discover the whereabouts of stolen goods and includes such other similar practices which are locally known as ‘Guni’, ‘Jhada phunka’, ‘Cot Bidya’, ‘Bata Bidya’, ‘Kula Bidya’, ‘Nakha Darpana’ or by any other name; * Published by Odisha Gazette Extraordinary No. 434, dt. 25.02.2014. The Odisha Gazette EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 434 Dated. 25 February, 2014 Short title, extent and commencement- Definitions 2 (c)“Witch-doctor” means a person who claims to be a Gunia, Tantrik, Kalisi or by any other name called and claims or is believed to be having supernatural or magical power to control or to cure a witch or by performing rituals to free a woman from evil spirit or bless a woman with a child or performs any ritual on behalf of any person with an intention to harm a person; (d) “Witch- hunting” means any act of omission, commission or conduct on the part of any person,— (i) identifying, accusing or defaming a woman as a witch, or (ii) harassing, harming or injuring such woman whether mentally or physically or damaging her property.