Kanpur: A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an exorcist on the pretext of curing her illness in a village in Banda district on Thursday, police said on Friday.According to police, the girl’s mother had taken her to her maternal grandparents’ home as she had been ill for a long time. Neighbours told the mother that an exorcist, Parshuram Yadav, claimed to cure illnesses through exorcism.Believing them, the mother took the girl to Yadav’s house for treatment. Police said Yadav allegedly took the girl to a secluded place away from her mother and raped her.The girl raised an alarm, following which her mother rushed to the spot. Yadav allegedly fled after seeing her.The girl later narrated her ordeal to her mother, following which the mother and daughter lodged a complaint with police on Thursday night.Police registered a case against Yadav on charges of rape and under the Pocso Act, besides other relevant sections of law. The girl was sent for a medical examination.CO Krishnakant Tripathi said two police teams were conducting raids at suspected hideouts to arrest Yadav, who has been absconding since the incident.
