Man Arrested For Raping Woman On Pretext Of 'Spiritual Healing' In UP

The victim, who approached Ashraf for spiritual assistance, was reportedly held against her will at a guest house under the guise of undergoing spiritual healing.

Image used for representational purposes only.

Source : Getty Images

The Ambedkar Nagar police in Uttar Pradesh detained 50-year-old Mohammed Ashraf on charges of raping a woman from Mumbai who sought "spiritual healing," according to the news agency IANS, citing police sources.

The victim, who approached Ashraf for spiritual assistance, was reportedly held against her will at a guest house under the guise of undergoing spiritual healing.

The incident was brought to light when the woman's family, concerned about her prolonged absence, forcibly entered the guest house room. The accused managed to escape the scene but was apprehended later following the filing of an FIR by the complainant on Saturday.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, the Baskhari Station House Officer, explained that a family from Maharashtra sought spiritual guidance from Ashraf during their visit to the guest house located in the jurisdiction of Kichhauchha under Baskhari.

"As per the FIR filed by the woman's husband, upon reaching the guest house, they encountered the accused, Syed Mohammad Ashraf, a resident of Kichhauchha. Ashraf purportedly promised to perform 'dua-taweez' for the man's wife, assuring them of her improved health. Subsequently, he ushered them all into a room within the guest house for other rituals," Singh stated, as reported by IANS.

Contrary to conducting prayers in the presence of the family, Ashraf asked them to wait outside and locked the door behind them, as reported by the Station House Officer to IANS.

After several hours passed without the woman emerging, her mother attempted to open the door, finding it locked from the inside. The door was eventually broken open, revealing the distressed state of the victim.

In a separate incident, a funeral procession on Thursday mourned the nine-year-old girl allegedly murdered and sexually assaulted in Puducherry. The Class 5 student, missing since Saturday evening, was discovered on Wednesday inside a sack in a drain, according to PTI, citing police reports.

Her hands and legs were bound with a rope. A case of murder and sexual assault has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST Act.

Two men, including a 19-year-old, have been arrested, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the case. Local protests against perceived police inaction claim that the two men are known drug addicts, according to PTI