A 32-year-old man posing as a spiritual guru was arrested by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police for sexually assaulting one and molesting four women of a family under the false promise of finding access to hidden treasure in their house. Of the five women, some are minors, according to the police.
The man has been identified as Somnath Kailas Chavan, 32, a resident of Khairewadi, in Roha area of Raigad. The complaint has been lodged by a 22-year-old woman from the family of five women who were assaulted by Chavan.
The series of incidents began in January 2019 when Chavan told the complainant family that a relative of theirs had performed dark magic on each member of their family in order to prevent a male child from being born in the family.
He then allegedly convinced the family that there were six boxes of treasure along with a gold container and an idol of Lord Ganesh hidden in one of the rooms of the house. The complainant told the police that Chavan convinced the family that the life of one of the five women was in danger and that she could be saved by marrying him.
He coaxed the family to pay him Rs 3,11,000 for performing ‘pooja’ (prayers) in the nude to be able to save the woman’s life. He told the family that the pooja needed to performed within 15 days since he met them, according to the complaint.
{{/usCountry}}He coaxed the family to pay him Rs 3,11,000 for performing ‘pooja’ (prayers) in the nude to be able to save the woman’s life. He told the family that the pooja needed to performed within 15 days since he met them, according to the complaint.
{{/usCountry}}He made the women sleep on a white cloth before misbehaving with four and raped one of them, according to the complaint. As the girl left the room, he threatened to kill her parents with black magic if she spoke about him to anyone else.
Over the course of the next few days, he married the woman whose life he claimed was endangered.
A case under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354(a) (sexual harassment), 376 (sexual assault), 376(1)(a), 376(3), 376(a)(b), 494 (marrying again during lifetime of husband or wife), 496 (marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage) of Indian Penal Code along with Sections 4, 6, 8 of Protection of Children form Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and Sections 2(1)(c) with 3(2) of Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 was registered at the Pimpri police station against the man.