Self-styled godman gets 2 yrs jail in sexual assault case

Sehore (MP), Dec 19: A local court today sentenced a self-styled godman to two years rigorous imprisonment in a case of sexual assault of a Dalit woman.

Special Judge Dilip Kumar Mishra convicted Baba More Singh Thakur under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and relevant sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, after examining the evidences and going through the material on record.

Public prosecutor K K Sharma said the tantrik had told the 32-year-old woman, a resident of Jamni village here, that he will heal her of sickness through black magic when she approached him along with her husband in February this year.

The convict locked up the victim's husband in a room, and thereafter tried to outrage her modesty by criminal force on pretext of performing black magic on her, he said.

The woman raised an alarm and fled from the spot along with her husband and they then approached the police to lodge a complaint against Thakur, the prosecution added.

PTI