MALAPPURAM: The Edavanna police have arrested a 35-year-old man for molesting a 16-year-old girl under the guise of exorcising an ‘evil spirit’ that had ‘possessed’ her. The arrested is Shiju, a sorcerer from Edakkara who had been living in Edavanna for the past two years.
Muhsin Pary, a counsellor with Childline, said Shiju took advantage of the unfortunate developments in the family. “The girl’s father, aunt, and a relative of her mother passed away recently. Shiju approached the family and made them believe that another family member would die soon. To prevent this, he insisted on performing sorcery to remove the evil spirit from the girl’s body. Under pressure, the family agreed,” said Muhsin. While performing sorcery at the girl’s house, Shiju subjected her to sexual abuse.
“During the ritual, Shiju gave traditional lamps to the family members and instructed them to position themselves in different corners of the house to ensure that they do not witness his nefarious activities. When the relatives were away, Shiju molested the girl and warned her not to tell anyone. He also threatened to return under the guise of sorcery to abuse her again,” he added. The girl shared the ordeal with her friends, one of whom alerted the Childline. Following an inquiry, Childline authorities informed the police, leading to Shiju’s arrest on Sunday.