A horrific case of rape has emerged in Hyderabad, where three persons claiming to practice black magic allegedly raped a woman on the pretext of warding off a ‘ghost’ which possessed her. The rape was allegedly encouraged by her husband and his family. Police say her husband Salim* allegedly took a video of the survivor being raped and threatened her to cooperate or he would share the video online.
The incident which took place in December last year came to light recently after the survivor filed a complaint with the Falaknuma police on September 25.
According to police, the survivor would often quarrel with her husband. Salim and his family concluded that she was possessed by a ghost. Based on his father Ahmed’s* advice, Salim approached a black magician Shaik Moosa Bawareez.
Moosa after examining her, claimed that the survivor was possessed by a woman ghost who is protecting the hidden treasure in their house. As a remedy, the black magician allegedly offered the solution of a ritual which involved the survivor being stripped and raped. “This ritual involved rape. The black magician claimed that he is not raping his wife but ‘satisfying’ the ghost,” said Falaknuma Station House Officer, K Srinivasa Rao.
However, as the ‘treatment’ did not work, three months later, Salim approached another black magician. Who also allegedly raped the survivor. “Three black magicians raped the woman in the past one year,” the SHO said.
To ensure the survivor cooperate with the ‘ritual’, her husband allegedly filmed the rape and threatened her that he would share the video online, said the police official.
The survivor told Deccan Chronicle, “I was scared. If they made the video viral, my family would get a bad name.”
The woman was put through the horror until her father returned from Oman and finally filed a complaint against Salim, his family and all the black magicians who assaulted her.
Based on the complaint, police have arrested--Shaik Moosa Bawazeer and Shaik Mohsin--the black magicians; Ahmed and Fareeda*, parents of Salim for aiding in the crime. However, Salim and his two siblings are absconding. Police are also on the lookout for Mohsin, the third black magician, who allegedly raped the survivor.
“We rounded up a few black magicians, but they were not the accused. Our investigation is still underway,” Srinivasa Rao said.
Police have registered a case under 354 B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 376 (rape), 417 (cheating), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and section 7 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Adversitement) Act 1954.
*Names changed to protect the identity of survivor.