BHOPAL: A man allegedly raped his sister-in-law after terrifying the family with tales of an occult curse. The suspect, who moonlighted as a faith healer, used the pretext of performing an exorcism to sexually assault the survivor, police said on Tuesday.The incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Civil Line police outpost. According to police sources, the suspect works professionally as a mechanic but also practiced occult rituals and faith healing on the side. Exploiting the deep-seated fears of his own family, the accused recently approached his brother —the survivor’s husband—and claimed that he was under the dark shadow of an ‘Aghori’. Gripped by fear, the couple desperately pleaded with the accused to suggest a way to neutralize the curse.On Monday night, the accused arrived at the survivor’s house to perform the ritual, having previously instructed the family to arrange specific things, including eggs, coconuts, liquor, and marijuana.“He initially performed some rituals on his brother. He then manipulated him into leaving the room, claiming that the ‘Aghori’ shadow could only be completely dispelled if a separate cleansing ritual was conducted on his wife,” an investigating officer stated.As soon as the survivor entered the room alone, the suspect bolted the door from inside. He reportedly applied a strong intoxicating substance to her forehead, causing her to lose consciousness rapidly. Taking advantage of her helpless state, the accused sexually assaulted her.Following the assault, the accused left the house, confidently assuring the family that the evil spirit had been successfully banished. When the husband walked back into the room, he found his wife lying unconscious. It was only after a considerable amount of time that the survivor regained consciousness.She broke down and narrated the entire ordeal to her husband, following which the distraught family immediately approached the authorities. On Tuesday, the survivor, accompanied by her family, lodged a formal complaint at the Civil Line police outpost. FIR has been lodged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on the survivor’s statement.(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
