A 15-year-old girl, missing from Karnataka's Shivamogga since April 2016, was rescued this week from Bengaluru from an apartment belonging to a 44-year-old self-styled tantric, Anees Baba. The man was arrested for cheating and sexually abusing the girl.
Anees, a resident of Saraipalya on Tannery Road in Bengaluru, was arrested from an apartment in Devarachikkanahalli near Bommanahalli, off Hosur Road. He had claimed that he can do black magic and abused women on that pretext, the police told the Deccan Chronicle.
The girl's family had approached Anees after hearing that he can cure people as the father of the girl was suffering from paralysis. The imposter then told the family that he needs to see the patient, who is a resident of Tippu Nagar, Shivamogga.
The imposter started living the family in Shivamogga under the pretext of curing the girl's father. However, he seduced the girl and eloped with her later. The victim's family then lodged a complaint with the police in Shivamogga.
In the course of the investigation, the police figured out the impostor's true identity. He was an autorickshaw driver from Bengaluru who claimed to be a tantric to cheat gullible people and make money off their sufferings.
His call records were traced and he was finally found in the Bengaluru apartment. He was charged under Sections 353, 376 (rape) of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Act 2012.
The police also recovered items used for performing black magic during the raid at his apartment. He is being investigated for other crimes as well.
