Thane (PTI): A 55-year-old tantrik has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman repeatedly on the pretext of solving some domestic problems in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Friday.

Based on a complaint, the police on Wednesday arrested the accused, Santosh Poddar alias Vinod Pandit, from the Shanti Nagar area of Mira Road under sections 376(2)(n) (commits rape repeatedly on the same woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and other relevant provisions of the IPC and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, an official said.

The accused, who claimed to be a tantrik (sorcerer), operated in the locality and advertised on Facebook, he said.

The victim approached Poddar seeking a solution for some domestic issues, and he allegedly raped her on multiple occasions on the pretext of curing her, the official said.

The accused also shot objectionable videos of her and threatened her, he said.

Fed up with the harassment, the woman approached the police earlier this week, he said, adding that a probe is underway to find out if the accused similarly exploited other women.

 

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Prayagraj (UP), May 20: The Allahabad High Court has directed the district magistrate and station house officer (SHO) concerned to take appropriate action in accordance with law regarding the alleged illegal construction of a temple in a public park of Awas Vikas Parishad at Buddh Vihar, Majhola in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) matter filed by Neeraj Kumar Tyagi, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Vikas Budhwar directed the Awas Evam Vikas Parishad, Moradabad to approach the DM and SHO concerned by way of an exhaustive application pertaining to the alleged illegal construction.

The petitioner has alleged that some people are illegally constructing a temple in a public park in the Awas Vikas Colony. When the matter was brought to the knowledge of the Awas Vikas executive engineer, he sent a junior engineer to the spot, who asked those involved in the construction to stop the work, but it was not stopped.

Thereafter, the executive engineer approached the Majhola SHO. However, when no action was taken, he wrote to the DM but despite this, no action has been taken so far.

Hence, the petitioner filed the petition in the court seeking the removal of the illegal construction from the park. During the course of the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner, Rajvendra Singh, contended that the Uttar Pradesh government issued an order dated October 29, 2009, prohibiting the construction of temples, churches, mosques, gurdwaras etc. on public roads, parks and public places. In this backdrop, he requested the court to intervene and direct the authorities concerned to take appropriate steps.

The petitioner also requested the court to grant him time to implead those involved in raising the construction as respondents in the PIL.

After hearing the petitioner's counsel, the court, in its order dated May 15, observed, "A perusal of the petition clearly indicates that construction is going on in the park and despite the Awas Evam Vikas Parishad requiring the police to intervene and stop the illegal construction, apparently, nothing has been done either by the district administration or the police station concerned."

The court has fixed July 8 for the next hearing in the matter.