The Jharkhand High Court today directed the state government to take appropriate steps against crimes committed in the name of witch hunting.
A division bench of Chief Justice Virendra Singh and Justice Chandrashekhar observed that more than 3,354 cases of hunting for "witches" had been filed since the creation of Jharkhand.
The court said most of the cases, in which poor old women were killed, may be due to the attitude of the miscreants to grab land and property of the poor persons.
It was also due to illiteracy among the villagers, the court said adding the government should take appropriate steps against the crime.
The chief justice also said Prakash Jha Production Pvt Ltd will make a documentary 'Justice at Doors' and Jharkhand Legal Service Authority will help Jha in the making of the documentary on the problem in the state from July 2 to July 4.
The court directed the state to extend all help to the production company.
It also directed the Principal Secretary to the Social Welfare Department to use about 100 vans, which are meant for propagation of literacy, but lying idle for a year.
