'Self-styled godman' booked for raping 19-year-old woman

A 19-year-old woman from Goa's Vasco has accused a Karnataka-based "self-styled godman" of raping her in a house near Mapusa town, following which the police have registered a case and sent a team to arrest him.

The woman, originally from Achra in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra bordering Goa, is currently staying in Vasco, according to police.

A Vasco police official said Santosh Kumbhar, who hails from Nipani in Karnataka and who is known to her, yesterday gave her lift promising to drop her to Achra. "She stated that Kumbhar offered her a soft drink on the way which she suspect was laced with some drugs and took her to an unknown house close to Mapusa.

"The woman claimed that the godman, who hails from Kundapur town in the neighbouring state, was present in the house along with another person who she identified as Nikhil Chavan," he said.

According to the woman, Kumbhar and Chavan left the house after which the godman raped her. She said he threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the matter to anyone. The Vasco Police have booked the godman on the charges of rape, unnatural offences, causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence, and criminal intimidation.

When asked whether the woman was a follower of the godman, the officer replied in negative. Responding to a question whether the crime was pre- planned and whether the presence of the godman was part of the conspiracy, he said things will get clear after the arrest of the accused.

A team of police officers has already left for Karnataka to arrest the accused, the police official said.