A disturbing case of superstition-driven exploitation has surfaced in Virar, where police have arrested a 21-year-old blind man for allegedly posing as an exorcist and raping a 17-year-old student three times in a single day under the pretext of removing an evil spirit from her body.

According to police sources, the accused, Prem Patil, allegedly convinced the victim that “four demons” resided in her body, claiming they could kill her future husband and prevent her from having children. He warned her never to disclose the matter to anyone and insisted that an elaborate ritual involving sexual intercourse 11 times was necessary to expel the “evil spirits.” With the help of his friend, Karan Patil, the accused booked a room in a lodge near Rajodi Beach, where he allegedly raped the victim three times under the guise of performing the ritual.

Police stated that the incident occurred last month, but the victim gathered the courage to file a complaint on Friday. “The accused exploited the girl’s fear and innocence, using claims of witchcraft to commit this heinous crime,” a Virar police officer said. Based on the victim’s complaint, the police have registered a case under Sections 137(2), 64, and 64(2) of the BNS, along with provisions of the POCSO Act and Sections 1 and 49 of the Maharashtra Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Indecent and Unholy Practices and Witchcraft Act, 2013. The accused duo, Prem Patil and Karan Patil, have been arrested by the police.