Indian police moved quickly to stop a horrific ritual of lowering babies into a deep well at a ‘dargah’, a Muslim place of worship.

The superstitious practice at a dargah in Bankapura near Haveri town in southern India came to light after it was most recently held on June 13.

The video shows a dargah official lowering a cradle with a baby into the well. Speaking in Urdu, he asks the parents to get a good glimpse of the baby inside the well before pulling it up.

Local residents believe that the ritual makes babies stronger and protects them from evil in their future life.

As soon as the local media published the video, the district police banned the ritual and filed cases against the head of the dargah and parents.

They also put a fence around the well to stop anyone from observing the ritual and putting their babies in danger.

A dargah is a Muslim religious place where local saints are buried and worshipped. They usually draw followers from all religious communities, not just Muslims.

(Clients are advised to conceal the baby's face, which is a requirement under the Indian laws.)