Mumbai ‘godman’ rapes woman, tells her it will drive away ‘evil spirits’

The godman told the woman he would cure her piles, find her a husband and give her a job. He instead raped her repeatedly

The police have launched a search for a self-proclaimed ‘godman’ who allegedly raped and kidnapped a 20-year-old college student in Palghar.

The godman, Trimbakmuni Mangalmuni Das, confined the woman to a room for five days. (Santosh Patil)

According to the police, the man, Trimbakmuni Mangalmuni Das, lured the woman by offering her a job. Das told the woman she was “victim of a curse that only he could cure”, said police.

The woman met Das on April 29 at his ashram at Kuded village in Vikramgadh to get treated for piles. Das said he would cure her, find her a husband and a job at a reputed firm in Gujarat, said police.

Police said Das kidnapped the woman and took her to Bhilad in Gujarat, where he confined her to a room for five days and did not give her food and water. He raped her repeatedly, said police inspector P Bhoye.

He threatened the woman, saying an evil spirit had possessed her. He said that if she was raped, the “cleansing process” would drive the spirit away.

“The woman escaped and complained to us. We registered case under section 363 (kidnapping), 366 (kidnapping a woman and compelling her in marriage), 376 (rape), 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code,” said Bhoye.

The police have arrested the three men who allegedly helped Das. They have been remanded in police custody till May 15.