15 January,2025 11:45 PM IST | Mumbai | Shirish Vaktania
Representational Pic/File
A 43-year-old man claiming to possess super-natural powers allegedly coerced a woman into repeated non-consensual sexual acts by promising to cure her and her husband's illness through black magic and chanting rituals, the police said.
When the woman resisted, he threatened to harm her husband and entire family through black magic, said an official.
He said that the accused also performed chants on the victim's two daughters to take them in forest area using cloves and flowers on them and allegedly touched them inappropriately.
Following the woman's complaint, the Aarey Police arrested the accused under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Patil and police Inspector Mangesh Andhare. Three teams were formed to trace and apprehend the accused.
The accused is an auto driver and resident of Goregaon. He was arrested from Goregaon area in north Mumbai.
Police are investigating whether the accused exploited other women using similar tactics.
A police officer said, "We have arrested the accused under sections 64 (2)(M) (Rape), 74 (assault or criminal Force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (Sexual Harassment), 76 (physical assault or the use of criminal force against a woman), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS along with Sections 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and Section 3(2) of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil, and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013."
