Self-Proclaimed Godman Arrested for Alleged Black Magic and Exploitation Scandal

The Pimpri Chinchwad Police have arrested a self-styled godman on charges of practicing black magic, fraudulent activities, and surreptitiously keeping tabs on people through a mobile app, according to a senior police official. The accused, Prasad Bhimrao Tamdar, 29, operated an ashram in the Bavdhan area under the Pimpri-Chinchwad police jurisdiction. He purportedly offered solutions to various problems through astrology and black magic.

Authorities revealed that Tamdar instructed his followers to download a specific app, granting him access to their mobile devices. He allegedly compelled them to engage in sexual activities with women, including sex workers, while he watched through his phone. District Commissioner of Police Bapu Bangar stated that four complaints have been lodged against him.

Tamdar has been apprehended and charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013. The investigation is ongoing.

On a related note, the Chhattisgarh Police recently booked 21 individuals in Raipur for allegedly detaining and assaulting three persons on suspicion of practicing black magic. The incident took place on March 13 during Holika Dahan celebrations, but an FIR was filed only on June 9 following a local court order.

Victims Tilak Sahu, Naresh Sahu, and Amar Singh Sahu claimed they were taken hostage by a group accusing them of black magic at the village crematorium. The victims reported that their attackers looted their possessions, paraded them semi-naked, forced them to wear slipper garlands, smudged black color on their faces, rubbed chili powder on their wounds, and tortured them unconscious. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)