Police have arrested a self-proclaimed godman for sexually exploiting a 28-year-old woman in Nashik district of Maharashtra.
The accused, Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Kakde (31), was arrested late Thursday night and a local court on Friday remanded him in police custody till April 29.
According to police, the victim was facing some family problems and visited a Shri Datta Devsthan Mutt in Dharangaon (Khadak) village near Lasalgaon in Niphad taluka of the district in 2024.
There she met 'godman' Maheshgiri, who convinced her that she had been affected by evil powers and forced her to do some rituals.
He started sending obscene and objectionable messages on her mobile phone, and slowly, he started sexually exploiting her.
He took her to a lodge, where he sexually assaulted her and took her objectionable photographs, they said.
A case of rape was registered against the accused and he was also booked under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.
