Mumbai: The Naya Nagar police in Mira Road have arrested a 55-year-old self-styled godman on charges of raping a woman on several occasions for the past three years under the pretext of get rid her of evil spirits and sufferings through occult practices.
The action followed after the woman registered a complaint against the accused identified as- Santosh Potdar alias Vinod Pandit (55) who was operating as a palmist from a shop in the Shanti Nagar area of Mira Road.
Apart from creating a palmistry page on Facebook, Pandit floated advertisements on social media platforms tagged with claims that he could predict the future, reveal the past and also resolve problems with the help of rituals. The unemployed complainant who was unable to find a job, came across the advertisement and came into contact with the accused hoping to get her issue resolved.
However, the accused forced her into establishing physical relationships with him. A year later the woman got married. However, marital discord cropped up between the couple within a year. In an unfortunate tryst with destiny the woman came into contact with her tormentor again.
Under the guise of resolving her problem, the accused started sexually exploiting her with natural and unnatural acts on several occasions for the past more than three years. He also clicked objectionable photos of the woman and started blackmailing her whenever she refused to give into his sexual demands.
Fed up with the ordeal, the woman finally approached the Naya Naya police. Based on the complaint, the police immediately arrested Pandit on Wednesday and booked him under the relevant sections of the IPC, Information Technology Act and the stringent Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act,2013.
Not ruling the involvement of the accused in more sexual exploitation cases, the police have appealed to victims to fearlessly come forward and register their complaints while assuring that their identities will not be disclosed. Meanwhile the accused was remanded to custody after he was produced before the district sessions court, Thane on Thursday.
