Patna : Four sorcerers, who claimed to cure women who had trouble conceiving by exorcising them of evil spirits, had been arrested in Bihar's Vaishali district, police sources said Monday.

Police officials said the four had been arrested Sunday night from two villages under Goraula police station, about 50 km from the state capital, in a special drive to root out the social evil. The police recovered liquor, red clothes and swords used for practice of sorcery and exorcism.

Police sources said the four arrested sorcerers used to lure women, particularly those who had problems in conceiving, in the night on the pretext of curing them. They also targeted other women who were in trouble, promising to help them get rid of their problems.

Vaishali has become the first district in Bihar to ban sorcery. Last week, the district administration had declared sorcery and exorcism illegal and ordered a drive to root out the social evil. The decision followed reports that a village quack used to operate on ailing people with a sword instead of surgical equipment.

The district administration ordered sub-divisional officers, block development officers and police officials to take action against those found practicing it.

The practice of sorcery and exorcism had been rampant in rural parts of the district. "Hundreds of people, mostly women and children were duped by quacks who claimed to cure them by exorcising evil spirits," said Lallan Singh, the District Magistrate.

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