In quite possibly the strangest thing you'll hear all day: a 37-year-old Toronto resident has been arrested for practicing witchcraft. Yes, you read that correctly, and yes it's still 2017. The information reached press earlier today, with authorities later confirming the extremely odd bit of news. According to multiple reports, a man named Murali Muthyalu was taken in after allegedly practicing some sort of magic. Before you get any ideas, it's something that despite being completely abstract and unfounded, is strictly prohibited under the Canadian criminal code. In addition to this head-turning claim, Muthyalu has been also charged with fraud and was slapped with a $5000 fine.
Toronto police were made aware of his practice at the beginning of the year, and have been following Muthyalu ever since. The man, who also went by the amazing alias, Master Raghav, advertised his services as a physic to willing customers in the GTA. This past March, a 44-year-old man sought the consultation of Muthyalu in the hopes of getting what we can only assume: some clarity and overall good vibes. Police claim that Muthyalu warned his victim of a family member cursed by an "evil spirit". They also say that Master Raghav pressured the victim into an advance of $101,000 in order to banish the malevolent being.
The case remains ongoing but as CTV News points out, authorities are asking anyone who has dealt with Muthyalu to contact police. If you or anyone you know has more information, you can reach out to Crime Stoppers here.
