Kanker, Oct 19 A 44-year-old self-proclaimed healer has been arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district under the guise of curing her ‘ailment’, officials said on Monday.
The victim is an inmate of a pre-matric tribal girls’ hostel.
The incident came to light on October 17 when the girl’s parents took her to a community health centre in Antagarh town after she fell ill, where a medical examination showed that she was five months pregnant, Bhanupratappur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Aniket Ashok Phadtare told reporters.
The accused, identified as Ramesh Kumar Pisda (44), was arrested on Monday.
A zero FIR was registered at Antagarh police station, which was subsequently transferred to Tadoki police station for further investigation, Phadtare said, adding that the district administration has constituted a district-level committee to probe the matter.
According to a complaint lodged by the girl’s father, he had taken her to Pisda, a traditional healer residing in Amagaon village in Tadoki area, for treatment on April 15 this year after she fell ill, a police official said.
The accused allegedly told the father that his daughter had a problem with her uterus that could cause difficulties with treatment in the future.
He also gave her an amulet, the official said.
On May 25, the girl was sent to the accused’s house along with her paternal uncle due to some household work. The accused allegedly took her to a prayer room and sent the relative accompanying her to another place, he said.
The girl was subsequently taken to the accused several times, during which she was allegedly kept away from her family members, the official said.
The accused administered intoxicating substances to render her unconscious and sexually exploited her, the police official said, quoting the complaint.
A case has been registered under Sections 64(1), 64(2)(m) and 65(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police official added.
(PTI News)
