Three arrested in ‘aghori ritual’ case face additional charges for raping minor, police custody extended till May 30

Kolhapur: Three people arrested last Thursday for allegedly advising a woman to perform human sacrifice to cure her husband’s stomach ailment now face additional charges, including the rape of a minor girl.According to the Vita police, the alleged rape and criminal intimidation took place between June 1, 2024, and May 12 this year. “The girl had been suffering from recurring health issues, particularly acidity. Seeking help, her father visited a mutt in Vita, where the seer (under police custody) directed him to another man, claiming he was an incarnation of multiple deities capable of curing ailments,” an officer said, citing the complaint filed by the minor girl, accompanied by her father, on Monday (May 25).Citing the complaint, the officer said when the family met the individual, he allegedly manipulated the minor by claiming that in a previous life she had been a female snake and he had been a male snake. “Under this pretext, he coerced her into sexual relations,” the officer said.The police said the accused also recorded videos to blackmail the family and ensure their silence. The girl’s father reportedly paid Rs 4.5 lakh to the accused for various so-called rituals. Sub-inspector Puja Mahajan of the Vita police said, “The custody of the three accused was to end on Monday. Before that, a minor girl and her father approached us and narrated their ordeal. The father also provided proof of financial transactions made to the accused. We have registered a fresh case under relevant sections and clubbed it with the earlier offence. The court has allowed extension of their police custody till May 30.”Preliminary investigations have revealed that the mutt had been operating since early 2024. “One of the accused managed logistical support, including the supply of materials for rituals, and handled the finances. The main accused would refer distressed individuals to a younger associate, who had joined the establishment around 18 months back,” police said.A clubbed case against the accused includes Sections 64 (punishment for rape), 64(2)(m) [aggravated rape], 318(4) [cheating by personation], 351(2) [criminal intimidation], and 3(5) [common intention] of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (penetrative assault), and Section 3 of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.