Maharashtra: Self-styled godman forces men into unnatural sex, arrested
Parbhani, July 24: A self-proclaimed godman was arrested in Maharashtra for allegedly making his male followers engage in unnatural sexual acts with each other, police said on Monday.
Asif Noori (38) was arrested from a neighbouring district and brought here on Sunday night, Parbhani Superintendent of Police Dilip Zalake said.
"We received a complaint on Friday from a few citizens after video and audio clips of him allegedly forcing male followers into unnatural sex were circulated on social media," he said.
Unsuspecting victims from different parts of the state used to seek Noori's help in solving their personal problems.
However,
the
self-styled
godman
made
them
indulge
in
unnatural
sex
with
each
other
for
vicarious
pleasure,
said
Ashok
Ghorband,
Senior
Inspector
of
Kotwali
here.
Noori
was
staying
in
a
madrasa
at
Darga
Road
here
in
the
Marathwada
region
of
the
state.
As the madrasa was allegedly used for the act, an offence under IPC section 295 (defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) will be registered against Noori, he said.
The arrest comes days after the Supreme Court reserved its judgement on IPC section 377, which prohibits unnatural sex.
However,
the
victims
have
not
been
booked
under
this
section,
Ghorband
said.
"Our
team
got
information
about
his
location
on
Sunday
and
nabbed
him
from
adjoining
Buldhana
district," he
said.
According to officials, Noori used to target young married men from Nanded and Parbhani districts of Marathwada by claiming to possess divine powers.
He used to take the victims in a room on the pretext of performing rituals.
There he would sedate them and force them to engage in unnatural sex with each other, they said.