Maharashtra: Self-styled godman held for beating up woman in Palghar

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The police have arrested a self-styled godman for allegedly beating up a 30-year-old woman on the pretext of freeing her from the possession of evil spirits in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official said on Tuesday.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, at Nalasopara police station of Vasai, the official said.

According to the complainant, she had approached the accused Hemraj Ambalal Nagda (66) of Bhiravnath Temple in Adivasi Pada, citing her poor health, he said.

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Nagda claimed that the woman had been possessed by some evil spirits and he needed to do some rituals to get rid of them, the official said.

The accused allegedly caught hold of the victim by her hair and beat her up, and when the beatings became unbearable and her condition worsened, she approached the police, he said.

An offence was registered, following which the accused was arrested on Sunday, the official added.

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