Tantrik Sexually Assaults Married Woman Under Pretext of Curing Husband’s ‘Grah Dosh’; 3 Arrested in Maharashtra

Police in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district have arrested a self-styled godman and his two associates for allegedly raping a 27-year-old married woman under the guise of performing a religious ritual to cure her husband's recurring health ailments.

The incident occurred in the Bhisi police station area of Chimur tehsil. According to Chandrapur Additional Superintendent of Police Ishwar Katakade, the victim’s family had attributed her husband’s persistent health issues to ‘Grah Dosh’ an astrological imbalance believed to occur when planets are unfavourably placed, weak, or afflicted in a person's birth chart.

To resolve the issue, the family reached out to 26-year-old Shubham Latari Khangar, who presented himself as a ‘Maharaj’ associated with the Jagannath Maharaj Bhadrabhesh temple.

Assault During Ritual

On August 30, Khangar visited the victim’s residence alongside two associates, identified as Sachin Modak and Tejas Walkate, to perform the requested puja.

During the ceremony, the main accused allegedly sent the victim’s husband away from the residence on the pretext of asking him to fetch additional items required for the rituals. Police said that once the woman was left alone inside the house, Khangar allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Accused in Police Custody

Bhisi police acted promptly after receiving the victim's complaint and apprehended all three individuals involved. The main accused, Shubham Latari Khangar, was arrested alongside his two accomplices, Sachin Modak and Tejas Walkate.

Police have registered a case against the three accused under Sections 64(1), 351(3), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation into the matter is being conducted directly by Bhisi Police Inspector Mangesh Bhogale. All three accused are currently remanded in police custody.

The criminal incident has once again raised widespread concerns over the exploitation of superstition, the vulnerability of distress-ridden families, and the misuse of religious beliefs by individuals posing as spiritual healers.