Kanpur: A man claiming to be an occultist allegedly sexually assaulted 20-year-old woman in the name of a ritual on Friday. The authorities apprehended the accused from his Kanpur Dehat residence on Saturday and he was sent to jail on Sunday.The woman got married three months ago and frequently experienced abdominal discomfort, fever, and cold, for which she sought medical attention. Recently, a local resident suggested her husband to consult an occultist for a ceremonial solution. The accused visited their residence ten days ago to perform rituals.On Friday afternoon, he arrived carrying red and black fabric and a coconut, asserting that the woman was possessed and required ceremonial cleansing. He requested liquor for an offering to the deity. The woman’s husband travelled approximately one kilometre to procure the liquor. In the meantime, the accused asked the woman’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law to arrange some ritual materials making them leave the house.Subsequently, the accused led the woman to a room under the pretext of purification, where he rendered her unconscious and assaulted her. When her husband resturned he found the occultist missing and his wife lying unconscious with her clothes disturbed. After regaining consciousness, the woman suspected foul play following which the family approached the police.Sachendi police nabbed the accused from his residence in Kanpur Dehat on Saturday evening. DCP Dinesh Tripathi confirmed that following interrogation, the accused appeared before the court on Sunday and was subsequently sent to jail.Sachendi police station incharge Dinesh Singh said, “The woman is undergoing a medical examination. After the medical, she will be sent for a magistrate’s statement on Monday.”
