Male. A sensational news has come to light in Maldives. An alleged case of an attempt of black magic on President Mohammed Muizzu has come to light. The police has taken action and arrested a minister of the Muizzu government.

According to local media, State Minister in the Environment Ministry Shamnaz Ali was produced in court after his arrest. The court has sent him on a seven-day remand. The police spokesperson has also confirmed the minister's arrest to news agency EFE. Apart from the minister, two other accused have also been arrested.

Raid on Shamnaz's house

Earlier, the police had raided Shamnaz's house. During the raid, items were seized that could be used to perform black magic. Before taking over the environment ministry, Shamnaz was working as a minister of state in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Fundita and Sihru call black magic

Shamnaz's ex-husband Adam Rameez also served on the city council with Muizzu and is a minister in the President's Office. Black magic, known locally as funditaa or sihuru, is still widely practised in the Maldives despite being considered a serious crime under Islamic law.

Advice given to stay away from such practices

In May, police arrested a 60-year-old man for allegedly practicing black magic on a ruling party member running for parliamentary election. In December 2015, the Islamic Ministry issued a public statement warning that “black magic” was becoming too common in society and that such practices should be avoided.