Mithilesh Saini, a UP Police Home Guard, is living a medieval nightmare. She faces a bizarre charge, which could cost her, her job. A notice to Saini from her superior officer, the District Magistrate of Bahraich, Pinky Jowel, demands to know why she put a line of yellow mustard seeds on her bed. She accuses Saini of using the seeds for practising black magic.A heartbroken Mithilesh denies the charge. She claims though she is a home guard - the District Magistrate has been using her as a domestic help. For the time being though she has been put off duty. She says, "She (the District Magistrate) used to make me wash her clothes, clean toilets. I was also made to massage the DM's legs till 2 am.''Saini claims she has given her complaint in writing and given it to the District Magistrate. Jowel however denies the charge and says, ''I have not made any complaints or given any letter.''However, while Jowle may deny the allegations a priest in a Bahraich temple says he was called to the Jowel house to remove the mustard magic spell. Says Ram Darshan Mishra, a priest: "I was called to the district magistrate's house. Somebody had tried to do black magic and I was asked to offer prayers.''

While the charges and counter-charges continue, what remains clear is that superstitions about black magic remain strong, even among government officials.