A "godman" has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on the pretext of performing rituals to ward off "evil spirits" from her house in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Tuesday.
Shahid Mohammad Wahid Shaikh (78), a resident of Ambernath, was arrested on Monday in connection with the assault, which took place last week.
According to the police, the survivor had been living with her mother in Kalyan town, following the deaths of her father and grandmother a few months ago, and Shaikh, who was acquainted with the mother, allegedly convinced them that an evil spirit was haunting their house.
"Under the pretext of performing rituals to cleanse their house, the accused gained entry into their residence. On May 2 and May 6, taking advantage of the mother's absence, the accused allegedly molested and raped the teen," an official said.
The accused has been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, he said.
Shaikh was apprehended and produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody till May 13, he said, adding that further probe is underway.