The members of the society have offered to carry out small thefts in the village at their own risk. They have also agreed to have their wives step on the platform that is out of bounds for the fairer sex, which purportedly rests on the ``belief that it will invoke the ire of God Shani.'' No women are allowed to step on the open platform or even draw water from a well reserved for holy rituals.

``We just want them to assure us that the society will not be hampered by the villagers, who have burnt my effigy and threatened dire action if we dare to question the powers of their gods,'' said Narendra Dabholkar, working president, Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, addressing a press conference this morning.

According toDabholkar, Shivajirao Kardaley, MLA from Shani-Shingnapur, had recently said in an interview that ``he challenges Dr Dabholkar to bring his wife on the platform that bears the Shani idol and see how he is punished by the god.''

``If he is willing to promise us support not just me, all the members of the society are willing to get their wives there,'' he said. While specifying that the aim was not to hurt the beliefs of the people, Dabholkar added that the society just wanted to convince them that no miracle was possible against the rules of scientific temperament. The village has shot into prominence immediately after the film Surya Putra Shanidev made by the late Gulshan Kumar started showing at theatres across the country. There are thefts in the village and the records are maintained at the local police station, it was pointed out at the press conference.

The Satyashodhak Maharashtra Mandal will hold a conference at Sonai, a village near Shani-Shingnapur at the end of this month.