Blantyre Magistrate Court on Thursday denied to grant bail to Eric Aniva who is being accused of indulging in harmful practices.

Principal Resident Magistrate Innocent Nebi said it will be improper to grant bail to Aniva because the case is at an advanced stage.

The case has since been adjourned to 28th October 2016 to allow both the State and the defence to submit their written submissions before the Court determines whether Aniva has a case to answer or not.

Aniva, 45, was arrested on 27 July after confessing to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that he defiled more than 100 adolescent girls as part of initiation rites into womanhood and sleeping with widows in a sexual cleansing ritual when he confessed to being HIV positive.