Mumbai, July 24: ANTI-SUPERSTITION groups in the city on Wednesday cited the poor conviction rate in criminal cases against voodoo practioners as the chief reason for the mushrooming of the Baba Bangali cult in Mumbai.

Shyam Manav, national convenor of the All India Anti Superstition Committee, which has been active in the state for the last 20 years, said: ‘‘Over the years, we have exposed more than 100 such fake spiritual gurus and so-called black magic practitioners. But due to lack of substantial legal evidence, the police could manage to get convictions against only two.’’

The committee has now launched an anti-superstition campaign against Baba Bangalis in the city. In a joint operation with the Social Service Branch of the police, the committee has gathered evidence against 20 Baba Bangalis to bolster legal action against them.

While the data collected through a year-long survey by committee volunteers will be handed over to the city police, the committee has warned citizens against fake practices of over 20 such gurus. They include Baba Kamal Khan Bengali, Baba Gokuldas Bengali (Kurla west), Baba Mushtakiya Bengali (Bhandup west), Baba Bengali (Ghatkopar west), Baba Khushaal Shah (Sandhurst Road West), Baba Samani Baba Shamim Tantrik (Bora Bazaar, Fort), Baba Zafar Shah (Grant Road), Baba Hussain Miyan, Gayatri Upasak Himalayan Yogi (Dadar), Ustad Baba Raza (Bandra West), Baba Jamaal Bengali (Santacruz West), Baba Ustad Bengali, Ruhani Suleimani Shah Chiragi, (Andheri West) Baba Allauddin Bengali, Ustad Baba Musa Bengali, Baba Sultan Bengali (Borivli West), Bibi Shameer Banu and Baba Shamim Bengali (Byculla West), Baba Mansoor Bengali (Chembur West), Baba Hakim Maulana Kamaluddin Shah Chisti Kadri (Jogeshwari), Gayatri Upasak LN Jyotishi (Kalbadevi)

The committee will organise street demonstrations in the next few weeks, creating awareness on the recent cases of human sacrifice. He added, ‘‘We have demanded that the state government provide funds to set up an anti-superstition cell to spearhead a state-wide awareness campaign, and an independent cell in the police department to co-ordinate legal action with the help of NGOs and local police stations.’’