Hyderabad: Azam, a self-styled godman, arrested for raping a 19-year-old girl in a Dargah on the pretext of chasing away evils

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In yet another horrific incident, a self-styled Muslim godman named Azam has been caught after allegedly raping a girl repeatedly on the pretext of chasing away evils from her house in Borabanda area of Hyderabad, reports ANI.

According to police reports, the rape accused Azam came in touch with the 19-year-old girl belonging to the same area and began to frequently visit her house. Later he suggested to her parents that their house was under the shroud of evil forces that needed to be chased away.

Azam further suggested that family should visit a Dargah in Bidar district of Karnataka to in order to get away with the evils, the police said. Azam accompanied the family to the dargah, an Islamic religious place, where he lured the victim and raped her.

“After their return from the trip, Azam again visited the house of the victim and asked her parents to stay outside while he recited some hymn to scare off the evils. On finding the girl alone, the accused once again raped her,” Panjagutta Additional Commissioner of Police Thirupatanna said.

A case under section 376 (punishment of rape) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at SR Nagar Police Station. The girl has been sent to Bharosa centre for medical assistance and counselling and the victim was sent to judicial remand, the police said.

In September last year, a case was registered against one Asif Khan “Ashu Maharaj”, who made a fortune cheating people, under section 376 and relevant sections of the POCSO after raping a minor girl.

Mainstream media has often used misleading images for crimes committed by Muslim clerics. In July last year, the Times of India turned one godman ‘Asif Noori’ who forced his male devotees into ‘unnatural sex’ into a Hindu saint when they used image of a Sadhu as representational image. Later, the Times of India even apologised for using a wrong representational image.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia