Maharashtra: 5 arrested for raping woman under pretext of black magic in Palghar

Mumbai: Five men have been arrested in Maharashtra’s Palghar district for allegedly raping and intimidating a 35-year-old woman on the pretext of performing magic tricks to cure her of a "black magic spell” cast on her, police said on Sunday.

The five persons who have been arrested are friends of the victim's husband. They allegedly told her that some evil spell had been cast on her husband and that to regain peace she would have to be part of some rituals, the official said.

"The accused started frequenting the house of the victim in April 2018 and would conduct rituals when the victim was alone. They would give her a spiked drink calling it 'panchamrit' and would rape her," he said.

After the woman filed a complaint on September 11, a police team arrested Ravindra Bhate, Dileep Gaikwad, Gaurav Salvi, Mahendra Kumavat and Ganesh Kadam for the crime.

Palghar Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil, in an official release, said the five have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (rape) 376(2)(n) (offence of committing rape repeatedly on the same woman) 420 (cheating). (UNI)