ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Police say they have arrested two Indians “for being involved in the practice of obeah”.

The police said that several pieces of evidential materials, believed to be used in the practice of obeah, were found at a property occupied by the accused men. The items were confiscated pending further investigations into the matter.

They report that Sandeep Gangadharaiah and Krishna Chennai Madras, both of India, have since been taken into custody and Attorney General Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin said they would be sent out of the country.

Their arrest followed a public outcry from residents who expressed fears that the presence of a self-proclaimed “Indian Astrologer” and “Priest” would invite “unwanted evil to the country”.

On Monday, members of an activist group, The Movement, visited the business place of the Indian men and told them to “pack up and go”.

Benjamin, who is also Labour Minister, said the two men would be sent out of the country because they had breached the terms upon which they were made to land in Antigua and Barbuda as well as breaching the Obeah Act of 1904.

“Obeah is against the laws of Antigua and Barbuda. There is an Act which indicates that obeah is unlawful when practiced in the state and nobody can make an application to practice an act which is unlawful,” Benjamin told the Antigua Observer.

“We do not practice black magic in Antigua and we are going to stamp that out. We are a Christian society and I want to applaud the Christian community which got together and have moved forward to stop this practice.”

The Obeah Act defines obeah as “ordinarily understood and practised, and includes witchcraft and working or pretending to work by spells or by professed occult or supernatural power”.