Imphal, June 27: Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and an episode revolving around the mysterious world of black magic and occult at Khangabok Part II is one such story that gives some meaning to this phrase.

The story revolves around four children of one Thokchom Jadumani of Khangabok Part II in Thoubal district and a local 'maiba' or an occultist or a black magician.

The story dates back to February last year, when the eldest child of Jadumani, Mandakini, was believed to have come under or possessed by an evil spirit when she had gone to Canchipur.

The parents immediately went to a local 'maiba' identified as Md Tomba of Sangaiyumpham to help exorcise the spirit and since then the child has been under the 'treatment' of the maiba, said family members while interacting with media persons today.

Soon the other children of Jadumani started showing the same symptoms of Mandakini.

Md Tomba was then asked to treat the other children.

As the children started showing the same symptoms of the mysterious illness again last night, the family members of Jadumani asked Tomba to come and see what can be done.

However Tomba failed to turn up, said family members and this aroused their suspicion.

Accordingly a complaint was lodged with the Thoubal police yesterday and Tomba was hauled up and brought to the residence of Jadumani to continue his 'treatment'.

Reporters who went to cover the story were in for a shocking surprise as they saw and heard the children speaking in a dialect seemingly under a spell.

One of the children identified herself as a Kabui woman and muttered that Md Tomba was at that time in the police station! In the tone of hill woman the child muttered "Tomba does not want to come here!" in Meiteilon Later Md Tomba was brought to the residence of Jadumani by police personnel and was told to treat the children as per his practices.

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