Hyderabad: Self-styled godman raped 19-year-old on pretext of shooing away evils, held

A self-styled Muslim godman was held for allegedly raping a girl on the pretext of shooing away evils from her house in Borabanda area of Hyderabad, police said on Saturday.

As per the police, the accused identified as Azam and the 19-year-old girl are resident of the same area.

The accused first got familiar with the girl and started visiting her house. Later he suggested to her parents that their house was under the shroud of evil forces that needed to be chased away.

Azam suggested the girl's family to visit a Dargah in Bidar district of Karnataka in order to get away with the evils, the police said.

Azam accompanied the family to the dargah, an Islamic religious place, where he lured the victim and raped her.

"After their return from the trip, Azam again visited the house of the victim and asked her parents to stay outside while he recited some hymn to scare off the evils. On finding the girl alone, the accused once again raped her," Panjagutta Additional Commissioner of Police Thirupatanna said.

A case under section 376 (punishment of rape) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at SR Nagar Police Station.

The girl was sent to Bharosa centre for medical assistance and counselling and the victim was sent to judicial remand, the police said.