Mathura, April 5: A ‘tantrik’ or an occultist has been awarded 25-year jail term by a fast track court in Mathura for raping a married woman on the pretext of 'healing her stomach ache'. The incident took place at a Vrindavan-based ashram. According to the complaint lodged, the accused identified as Baba Dwarkadas molested the victim and despite her protestations, raped her. The victim was told it was part of an exercise to eliminate the impact of evil forces.

Additional district counsel Praveen Kumar Singh was quoted by PTI saying, “The learned Additional District judge, fast-track court one, Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi, has also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000; and on its non- payment the accused would have to undergo further imprisonment of 27 months". As per reports, the case was transferred from the District Judge’s court to this court and was decided in a duration of four months, the official said.

In July last year, a lady from Hathras had reached the accused’s ashram in Vrindavan with her husband and four-year-old daughter to get rid of her persistent stomach pain. She was told by a disciple of the accused tantrik to stay in a room on the second floor as the treatment of evil forces would start at 10 PM.

While narrating the victim’s complaint, Singh said at 10 PM, the woman’s husband was given a kindled earthen lamp with the instruction that he would take it downstairs and return only after the lamp was extinguished. As per reports, next morning, the woman was again raped in the name of ‘Nibu exercise’ when her husband was asleep. According to a report by PTI, the accused warned her to keep quiet or else her family would be eliminated.

Describing her ordeal, Singh said that the couple left for Hathras, the following day, where the victim summoned courage and disclosed her situation to her husband. The couple came to Vrindavan and lodged an FIR against Baba Dwarkadas on July 22 last year, he added. During the trial, the victim at the final stage said the rape was committed by some other person, Singh added.

As per details by the Police, the Tantrik was awarded 20-year rigorous imprisonment under section 376 (pertaining to rape) of the IPC, a Rs 20,000 fine and 18 months further imprisonment on failure to pay fine. In addition, he was also awarded four-year rigorous imprisonment under section 506 (intimidation) of the IPC, Rs four thousand fine and six-month further imprisonment on default of payment of fine.

According to PTI report, the occultist was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of one year under section 417 (cheating) of the IPC with Rs one thousand fine and three months further imprisonment on non-payment of fine, Singh said adding the sentences would run one after the other.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2018 11:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).