Nashik: The Shrirampur city police have arrested a 41-year-old occultist on charges of rape, cheating and practising black magic after a 35-year-old woman alleged that he sexually assaulted her repeatedly and extracted nearly 20 lakh from her over three years.
The accused, identified as Ganesh Shinde, was arrested on Monday following a complaint by the woman, who belongs to a business family. "Shinde allegedly raped the woman on multiple occasions between 2023 and 2026 after she approached him for treatment of a stomach ulcer. He was produced before a court and remanded in police custody till May 2," said inspector Nitin Deshmukh of the Shrirampur city police station.
According to the complaint, the woman first contacted Shinde in 2023 seeking relief from her ulcer. She alleged that during the initial visit, Shinde gave her water mixed with lime and incense ash, after which she felt light-headed but experienced temporary relief. He charged her 15,000 rupees and asked her to return after five days.
During subsequent visits, the complainant alleged, Shinde gave her food items and water laced with substances that left her semi-conscious. On one such occasion, he allegedly raped her after taking her to another room. The police said he continued to call the woman repeatedly, instilling fear that her ailment would return if she stopped visiting him.
The woman further alleged that Shinde exploited her fear and extracted money and gold from her as ‘dakshina' during each visit, eventually taking around 20 lakh. She also claimed that he continued to sexually exploit her on multiple occasions, including in August 2025 and January 2026.
Police said the complainant remained silent for years due to fear of social stigma and threats that Shinde would reveal their alleged physical relationship or cause her illness to recur. She approached the police when his monetary demands kept increasing.
The case is being investigated under the guidance of superintendent of police Somnath Gharge and Shrirampur deputy SP Jaydatta Bhavar.
