Self-Styled Godman Arrested on Charges of Raping Teenager

Representative photo. A self-styled godman was taken into custody for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl at her house.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

A self-styled godman was taken into custody on the charges of raping a 19-year-old girl at her house in Hyderabad under the pretext of ridding her house of evil spirits, police said on Sunday.

The accused (25), claiming to have supernatural powers, had told the teenager's parents there were evil spirits in her house and that he would help in getting rid of them, and then took them to a shrine in Bidar district of Karnataka a week ago, police said based on a complaint.

“On 11 June, the accused, pretending to perform some rituals, went to the girl’s house and allegedly sexually assaulted her,” a police official said.

The girl informed the matter to a family member, who lodged a complaint with the police on Friday last. Following this, a case under IPC section 376 (rape) was registered, and the godman was taken into custody, the official said.