Mumbai, March 20: A woman has accused a Ujjain-based godman of raping her and extorting Rs 3.5 lakh from her and her husband, promising that he would cure their son's cancer through rituals. A case has been registered against the self-styled godman and the Trombay police have launched a manhunt to nab the accused. The couple's 10-year-old child had died of cancer in 2018.

After their child was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, the woman and her husband, who are well-educated, were devasted. Although the child was undergoing treatment at a hospital, the couple was not satisfied. In May 2017, the boy's mother met the godman at a temple and narrated her ordeal. The accused claimed he can cure her son's illness through rituals. The Chembur-based couple then decided to take his help.

According to the FIR lodged by the couple, as part of some rituals, the godman conducted a yajna at the couple's house. During rituals, he asked the woman and her son to consume some holy ash. After consuming it, the mother-son duo fell unconscious. When they regained consciousness, the accused told them that it was done to cure cancer. "He then allegedly took some jewellery worth Rs 60,000 from her and left," an officer told Mumbai Mirror.

After a few days, the godman contacted the woman again and said there were some complications in her son. This time he asked the woman to visit a flat in Andheri. The woman alleged the godman sexually assaulted her there, claiming that it is a part of vidhi (ritual). According to the woman, the accused also recorded the act and clicked pictures of her.

The godman then started blackmailing the woman for money. "The woman didn’t tell her husband about the sexual assault. But the godman didn’t spare the husband as well. He allegedly took around Rs 2.98 lakh from him on the pretext of performing various rituals for his son’s well-being," the officer was quoted as saying.

The couple said extortion and harassment by the godman continued even after their child died last year. A case under Sections of 376 (rape), 354(a) (sexual harassment), 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and under relevant sections of the black magic Act has been registered against the godman. A team was sent to Ujjain to nab the accused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 20, 2019 12:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).