📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Kingshuk Mondal
Crime
Court Sentences Storyteller to 14 Years for Year‑Long Rape Under Pretence of Exorcism in Sagar
✍️ Amar Ujala · Sagar
🗓 27 Sep 2026, 05:15 PM
👁 9
A self‑styled katha‑vachak was convicted by the Sagar District Court and handed a 14‑year jail term for raping a woman over a period of one year after threatening to release a video of her.
The Sagar District Court has sentenced a man who presented himself as a katha‑vachak to fourteen years of imprisonment. The accused allegedly approached a woman claiming he could remove a supposed evil spirit that was troubling her. When she refused his services, he threatened to circulate a compromising video unless she complied.
According to the court’s findings, the man forced the woman into sexual acts for approximately twelve months, using the pretext of an exorcism ritual. The victim reported the abuse after the threats escalated, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the perpetrator.
The judge noted that exploiting religious or spiritual beliefs for sexual exploitation constitutes a grave violation of law and societal trust. The 14‑year sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and serves as a deterrent against similar abuses in the region.
The case underscores the need for heightened vigilance against individuals who misuse cultural and religious practices to commit offenses, and it highlights the role of law enforcement in protecting vulnerable victims.
According to the court’s findings, the man forced the woman into sexual acts for approximately twelve months, using the pretext of an exorcism ritual. The victim reported the abuse after the threats escalated, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the perpetrator.
The judge noted that exploiting religious or spiritual beliefs for sexual exploitation constitutes a grave violation of law and societal trust. The 14‑year sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and serves as a deterrent against similar abuses in the region.
The case underscores the need for heightened vigilance against individuals who misuse cultural and religious practices to commit offenses, and it highlights the role of law enforcement in protecting vulnerable victims.