Mumbai:
An influential astrologer, Ashok Kharat, has been arrested for allegedly repeatedly raping a 35-year-old woman under the guise of spirituality in Maharashtra’s Nashik, police said.
The victim alleges that under the pretext of performing rituals, the 67-year-old astrologer administered an intoxicant to her, hypnotised her, and exploiting her faith sexually assaulted her.
Police investigation has revelead that the sexual exploitation was not limited to just one woman.
According to the police FIR, Kharat, who refers to himself as ‘Captain’ as he is a retired Merchant Navy officer, used to summon women to his office by luring them with promises of resolving their personal problems.
Once there, he would hypnotise them by administering an intoxicant, police said.
Subsequently, he would rape the women by instilling fear in them -specifically, by threatening them with the death of their husbands or by invoking the dread associated with occult practices, the police said.
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