Kollam: Sorcerer arrested for raping minor girl over exorcism
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Kollam: Police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly raping a minor girl in the name of exorcism in Kerala’s Kollam district.
The accused, identified as Rajan Babu alias Murari, a local sorcerer, had gone into hiding after the incident came to light on Sunday evening, prompting police to launch a search operation.
The incident occurred at Vendar, under the jurisdiction of the Puthur police station.
According to police, the victim and her mother had earlier approached Murari seeking astrological advice. He allegedly convinced them that their problems were caused by an evil spirit that had possessed the girl, and claimed he could expel it through an exorcism ritual.
Following his instructions, the girl and her mother returned to Murari’s house in Vendar on Sunday for the ritual. The accused allegedly asked the mother to wait outside the room while he kept the girl inside.
After some time, the girl reportedly came out and informed her mother about the sexual assault she had allegedly suffered during the ritual.
Angered by the incident, local residents staged a protest outside Murari’s house. However, the accused managed to flee the scene amid the commotion, police said.
Murari was booked under various sections of the BNS, including Section 64 (rape), 74 (assault or criminal force), 75 (1) and 76 (sexual harassment) and the POCSO Act, police added.
Meanwhile, a police team arrested the accused from a lodge in Sasthamkotta on Monday and brought him to the police station. Besides being a sorcerer, Murari was also active on social media platforms, police added.
With PTI inputs