A shocking case of alleged sexual assault by exploiting problems being faced by people and also superstitions has come to light in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, where a man posing as a ‘Maharaj’ allegedly raped a 27-year-old married woman while claiming to perform a ritual to cure her husband’s recurring health problems.
Chandrapur Additional Superintendent of Police, Ishwar Katakade, provided details of the incident, which took place in the Bhisi police station area of Chimur tehsil. During the ritual, the accused allegedly sent the woman’s husband outside on the pretext of asking him to bring items required for the puja. Police said that on August 30, Khangar, along with his two associates, Sachin Modak and Tejas Walkate, allegedly went to the woman’s house to perform a puja. The main accused, identified as 26-year-old Shubham Latari Khangar, was arrested along with Sachin Modak and Tejas Walkate.
The woman’s husband had been facing repeated health problems, which the family attributed to ‘Grah Dosh’, which is an astrological imbalance that occurs when planets are unfavourably placed, weak, or afflicted in a person’s birth chart, according to police. Police said that Khangar then allegedly sexually assaulted the woman when she was alone. Disclosing details of the case, Additional SP Katakade said that Bhisi police acted promptly after receiving the woman’s complaint and arrested the three accused.
Death Sentence in High-Profile Child Rape Case
On August 8, a court in Maharashtra’s Palghar district sentenced a man to death for the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Dahanu taluka in 2021. This ruling underscores the judicial system’s response to heinous crimes against children and reflects ongoing societal concerns regarding child safety.
