Fake faith healer gets 10-year imprisonment under anti-superstition law

A fake faith healer has been awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment by a court here in Maharashtra on Tuesday. The faith healer on the pretext of helping the woman conceive had forced the couple to perform obscene acts in his presence.          

Accused, Yogesh Kupekar, was convicted by District Judge P P Jadhav under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act 2013 and IPC sections 376 (sexual assault) and 354 (molestation).

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Yogesh was also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 by the court.

The woman told the police that she suffered so much mental trauma because of such activities that she contemplated suicide and had to undergo treatment at a hospital in Thane.The accused had forced the couple in 2016 to have intercourse in front of him in order to remove defects from the woman's body on the pretext of his treatment to help her bear a child, according to the prosecution.

Later, the couple lodged a complaint with Thane Police, accusing him of raping and molesting the woman and extorting Rs 10,000 from them.

The accused was subsequently arrested.

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"The accused indulged in heinous acts with the victim and her husband. Certainly, this is a special and unique case apart from regular cases of rape. He is required to be punished with a proper sentence of imprisonment and fine," the judge said in his order.

(With PTI inputs)