An occultist has been arrested by the police in Vadakara, Kozhikode for sexually abusing two sisters on the pretext of treating them for mental illnesses. The accused has been booked under POCSO since one of the survivors is a minor.

The accused, identified as Muhammed (47), was arrested by Vadakara Circle Inspector T Madhusudhanan on Tuesday. A resident of Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode, he had earlier been booked by Kozhikode police for taking money from residents and giving false promises like treatment for mental illness.

The parents of the survivors had reportedly approached the occultist seeking treatment for their elder daughter, who is 21 years old. Muhammad had claimed that the young woman was ‘possessed’, and promised the parents that she can be cured. In the course of their interaction, he also told the parents that their younger daughter, who is 16 years old, was also ‘possessed’.

According to the police, the accused then sexually assaulted both sisters multiple times. He also asked the girls not to mention the incident to their parents and threatened to hurt the family if they did so.

The two survivors complained to their parents, however, and on October 14, the family registered a case with the Vadakara police.