A New York-based Hindu priest has been arrested in Canada for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman on pretext of a ‘religious ceremony’ to heal her of evil spirits in Oshawa, police said.
The incident unfolded when the victim’s family invited him from the USA to Canada perform a religious ceremony. However, the police now suspect that there may be more victims sexually assaulted by Maraj and have urged anyone with information to come forward. But during his conversation, Shinde learnt that there was a young woman in the house and had no child despite being married for several years. He then offered to perform a ritual on the woman that would bless the couple with a child. He first touched her head on pretext of performing the ritual and then touched her inappropriately and sexually assaulted her, the Indian Express report added, citing police. After realising that she had been sexually assaulted, the woman informed her husband and the couple approached Powai police station that evening. The police registered a rape case and began examining the CCTV footage from the building and surrounding areas in which they allegedly spotted Shinde boarding an autorickshaw.
The accused priest has been identified as 50-year-old Rajendranauth Doodnauth Maraj.
There, he convinced the victim that she was possessed by evil spirits and that a specific religious ceremony was needed to heal her, Durham Regional Police said in a statement. Shinde initially pretended to bless the elderly woman, police said. He allegedly spoke to the young woman for some time and then asked her to lie down on the bed, police said.
He was traced to Kalwa and was detained on Wednesday night.
Maraj then called her to a private location where he sexually assaulted the victim under the guise of performing a religious ceremony. A police team was dispatched and Maraj was taken into custody on the family’s complaint. He has been charged with one count of sexual assault. “The pandit deceived the victim into believing she was possessed by evil spirits and needed a specific ritual to heal herself.
The case came to light when the family reached out to the police on August 25.
The suspect exploited the victim into attending a private location where the suspect sexually assaulted the victim under the guise of performing a religious ceremony,” the police said further.
