BENGALURU: From developing robots that can serve the country to writing codes for some of the most complex software, the city has taken gigantic strides in the world of technology, but Bengaluru’s immensely fruitful tryst with progress has not prevented witchcraft and black magic from flourishing in its backyard. Four residents of the city have allegedly been ‘sacrificed’ as part of black magic rituals between 2011 and ’14.Two women, a boy of 17 and a two-and-a-half year old boy were the victims of these regressive practices. Police made arrests in these cases, and no complaints appertaining to black magic were registered in 2015 and ’16, but such practices were far from being eradicated in the city. More recently, a 10-year-old girl was allegedly found murdered on March 3 as part of a sacrifice in Magadi, in Bengaluru Rural district.Vulnerable people are lured in by the promise of miracle cures to ailments, hidden treasures, etc., made by these sorcerers. While pre-teenage girls are their prime targets, pregnant women too are sacrificed as part of the rituals.Police officers familiar with such cases pointed out that sorcerers gain access to families through individuals close to them. “They target people craving for money, promise them hidden treasures, and convince them that human sacrifice is the only possible way they can obtain them,” SK Umesh, deputy superintendent of police, Bengaluru Rural, told TOI.Umesh said that the sacrifices took place in desolate places in the dead of the night. “There are also cases of people approaching sorcerers, seeking their help to solve problems. The magician assures them that there are solutions, some of which involve human sacrifice. When someone expresses doubt, they play up the dangers of the problem. In the Magadi case, for instance, the sorcerer told the other suspects that their brother would die if a human sacrifice wasn’t done,” Umesh addedFrom going cashless to having websites, sorcerers embrace technologyIn the villages, grotesque paintings can be spotted on walls informing the public of the presence of a magician in the neighbourhood. However, in Bengaluru – the country’s Silicon City – even black magic practitioners have embraced technology, taking to the web to advertise their expertise.While there are those who have created websites, a few restrict their use of technology to sharing mobile numbers. A self-styled Vashikaran (bewitchment) specialist in Domlur, less than 3km from the Central Business District, has, in fact, embraced digital economy.When TOI contacted him, pretending to be a student, he said, “You Paytm (sic) Rs 500 to this number, and send across your name, date, place and time of birth along with your e-mail id. I will see what your issues are, and we can work out a solution later,” he said. Also, Rs 500 is the standard consultation charge that sorcerers ask in the city.Anti-superstion bill in cold storageSocial activists and rationalists point out that the situation is far worse in other parts of Karnataka, particularly in the rural areas. In places such as Kollegal, priests in temples claim to possess powers that can rid a body of foreign souls. Cops admit that there have been tens of cases of human sacrifice in other parts of the Karnataka, its image as a modern, forward-looking state already having been stained by the murder of rationalists such as Kalburgi.Despite chief minister Siddaramaiah’s backing, the anti-superstition bill has been lying in cold storage, owing to pressure from the opposition, and sections in the Congress . After two drafts of the bill were rejected, sources in the know fear that the bill could be dead.Previous cases2011: City police arrested a water diviner for allegedly murdering two women under the garb of ‘human sacrifice’ to find hidden treasure. Ajay, 24, of Nagamangala taluk in Mandya was arrested when he was taking a potential victim to his home district. Investigation showed that he had bludgeoned two Bengalureans, Elizabeth, 45, and Aruna, 24, on the banks of Veera Vaishanvi and Shimsha rivers respectively.2013: A month after his parents filed a missing complaint, the skeletal remains of Chandrakanth, a first PUC student of Subramanyapura, south Bengaluru, were recovered near Chikkaballapur. Investigation revealed involvement of witchcraft, and subsequently, a black magician from Andhra Pradesh and a Subramanyapura resident were attested for sacrificing the teenager, allegedly to find a hidden treasure.2014: The body of a two-and-a-half-year old boy was found in Rajanakunte, on the outskirts of the city near Yelahanka. Investigation showed that a member of the family kidnapped the boy, and sacrificed him, to get his hands on hidden treasure.