A 35-year-old woman in Palghar districts in Maharashtra was allegedly raped multiple times by five men in the pretext of removing evil spirits from her husband’s life and vaastu mistakes in her home. The five men, Ravindra Bhate, Dileep Gaikwad, Gaurav Salvi, Mahendra Kumavat and Ganesh Kadam have been arrested. The men are the victim’s husband’s friends. They started visiting their house and told her that some evil spell had been cast on her husband and to regain peace she would have to be part of some rituals. They gave her a spiked drink calling it “panchamrit”, a revered mixture of water and milk in Hindu temples.
The accused also took gold and money from her claiming it was for various rituals that would ensure peace and prosperity and a stable government job for her husband, he said.
The woman belong to a predominantly tribal village. She filed a complaint in September after which the police arrested the accused. Reportedly, they also raped in a forest and in a Mutt.
Sources: PTI, Free Press Journal
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