Palghar 'godman' accused of rape held in Pune
Pune (PTI): A self-styled godman from Maharashtra's Palghar district who allegedly raped a 35-year-old woman after claiming to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva has been arrested in Pune, police said on Saturday.
The 40-year-old accused, Hrishikesh Vaidya, was apprehended from the Pimpri area on Friday, an official said.
According to the police, the woman had gathered the courage to lodge a complaint against Vasai-based Vaidya after the recent arrest of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in a rape case in Nashik.
However, Vaidya, in a social media post, has denied the allegations against him and claimed a false case had been registered against him.
As the primary offence allegedly took place in Pune, the Manikpur police in Vasai registered a 'Zero FIR' on Wednesday before transferring the probe to the Hadapsar police station in Pune for further investigation.
A zero FIR is a first information report that can be filed at any police station in India, regardless of where the crime occurred or which station has jurisdiction.
Police said that the woman first came in contact with the accused on Facebook in 2023.
"In December 2023, the accused visited Pune to meet her. He allegedly deceived her by claiming he was an incarnation of Mahadev (Lord Shiva) and that she was his 'Parvati," an official said, citing the FIR.
The complainant alleged that the man took her to a lodge in the Manjari area of Pune, where he administered a numbing substance before raping her. During the assault, the accused allegedly took photographs of the woman without her knowledge.
The woman told the police that the accused, who runs a social organisation in Palghar district, used the photographs to blackmail her. In May last year, he allegedly called her to a hotel at Vasai in Palghar, where he again attempted to sexually assault her.
"Teams were formed to nab Vaidya. We received information about his whereabouts and apprehended him from the Pimpri area," a senior officer of the Pune police said.
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India describes attack on Fujairah 'unacceptable'
New Delhi (PTI): India on Tuesday described the wounding of three Indians in an attack on the United Arab Emirates' port city of Fujairah as "unacceptable" and pressed for an immediate cessation of hostilities targeting innocent civilians.
New Delhi's reaction came a day after the Indians were injured after a drone attack caused a fire at a major oil industry zone in Fujairah. The UAE had accused Iran of carrying out the strike.
"The attack on Fujairah that resulted in injury to three Indian nationals is unacceptable," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"We call for immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians," the spokesperson said.
Jaiswal said India continued to stand for dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the situation so that peace and stability could be restored across West Asia.
"We also call for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law. India stands ready to support all efforts for a peaceful resolution of issues," he said.
The attack on Fujairah city came as the ceasefire between the US and Iran came under strain in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas pass, remains a major sticking point in the talks. Shipping through the narrow Gulf waterway has been severely disrupted by the conflict, triggering a sharp increase in oil prices and energy shortages in several countries.
The UAE's defence ministry on Monday said its air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones launched from Iran.
The ministry affirmed that it "remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country."
