MADURAI/CHENNAI: The Madurai district police arrested five persons, including a fortune teller, for harassing a 24-year-old woman on the pretext of exorcising the demon, on Saturday.
The victim lives at Narasingam near Y Othakadai with her husband and child. Her husband allegedly used to beat her up under the influence of alcohol. Last time, when she did not react to his assault, he found it disturbing, and shared it with his friends. They suggested that she could be possessed. The man took his wife to a fortune teller on Friday. His three friends allegedly assisted him. After hearing his predicament, the fortune teller reportedly told them that she needed to be exorcised, and asked them to wait outside. Meanwhile, the man allegedly whipped her, puller her hair, apart from assaulting her.
However, Muthupandiyammal managed to escape and rush to the Appanthirupathi police station. Based on her complaint, the police registered a case against the five persons -- her husband, his three friends and the fortune teller -- under IPC 147, 294, 323 and Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women’s Harassment Act, and arrested them. An investigating officer said that presence of her husband and his aides during the time of her harassment was not clear. The police was also investigating whether the fortune teller had assaulted other women.
Newlywed held for raping minor sister-in-law
A 26-year-old man was arrested by Tiruvallur police for allegedly raping his 14-year-old sister-in-law 20 days after wedding. Police said Surya* (name changed) runs a mobile phone sales shop. On Friday, his wife’s younger sister who returned from school, went missing and her father lodged a complaint, said a police officer. Investigation revealed that Surya had picked up the girl from school and raped her in his shop.
Police arrested him under POCSO Act and he was remanded to judicial custody.