SRINAGAR: Police has arrested a self-styled godman for allegedly sexually assaulting a fifteen year-old girl in Hurpora area of Shopian district in south Kashmir.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Shopian Headquarters, Manzoor Ahmed Mir said Manzoor Ahmed Shiekh, son of Ghulam Rasool, resident of Imam Sahab Shopian, “used to befool innocent people, especially women by giving them amulets and purifying water.”
Mr Mir said a minor girl suffering from some disorder was treated by this fake godman who provided her with some amulets and purifying water, but later sexually assaulted her.
“The fake godman after coaxing and cajoling the minor, kidnapped her,” he added.
Mr Mir said police swung into action after the girl’s family members lodged a complaint in police station Hurpora and arrested Manzoor Shiekh.
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“The girl was recovered by police and medical examination confirmed the rape,” Mr Mir said.
Station House Officer, Hurpora, Mudasir Chodri said that the said fake Godman had also been arrested in a kidnapping case in 2002.
This is not the first time that people preaching religion or claiming to be godmen have been arrested for immoral activities in the valley.
Another fake dervish, Gulzar Ahmed Bhat is still in jail after a few minor girls of his seminary complained that they were raped.
Bhat had been preaching his version of Islam for the past ten years and had for a long time been issuing advertisements in newspapers claiming to have received divine revelations.
Religious organisations have condemned Bhat saying he manipulated the verses of the Quran to lure his victims.
But Mr Bhat’s follower’s have said he is being made a victim of personal vendetta.
