Bengaluru : Three years after the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill was passed, it has finally become an Act.

The state social welfare department issued a gazette notification on January 4 to implement the controversial Act. Draft rules have already been prepared.

The bill was passed by both houses of the state legislature in 2017 when the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government was in office. However, governor Vajubhai Vala gave his assent only this month.

In 2014, BJP functionaries and religious leaders had opposed the first draft prepared by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), which had identified 13 rituals as evil practices and proposed stringent punishment for practitioners. The draft also proposed the death sentence for human sacrifice in the name of black magic.

The government then diluted the bill, keeping controversial religious practices like Made Snana out of it.