CHENNAI: Two ‘black magicians’ attempting to ‘molest’ a 27-year-old man after compelling him to be nude for a pooja were booked for criminal intimidation by Chengalpattu police as the Indian Penal Code does not have any provision in the statute for molesting a man.
The freak case began when the Chengalpattu police were alerted to two men being gagged and beaten up by villagers at Pudupakkam village at noon.
On reaching the village, villagers informed the police that the ‘victim’ Ponraj, a web designer, had come to the black magicians Khader Basha and Shoukath Ali believing they would drive away the evil spirits that were causing Ponraj business losses as well as problems in his personal life. “He first saw their advertisement in the internet and then visited their office at Kodambakkam in Chennai. He said he was impressed by their talks and agreed to pay `20,000 as fees to conduct the special pooja for him,” said a police officer.
Ponraj arranged for the pooja in the house of his friend Radha Krishnan at Pudupakkam near Chengalpattu on Sunday noon. The ‘black magicians’, however, insisted that he arrange to have an unmarried young girl participate nude in the pooja. “When Ponraj and Radhakrishnan refused this demand, they said that they would at least need an unmarried man to be nude in the pooja. Then Ponraj offered himself and agreed to participate in the pooja, nude,” said the officer.
With a lot of hesitation, Ponraj came to the pooja room with a towel tied around his waist. But he became aware of the sinister plan when the two black magicians removed his towel and started touching him provocatively. Police said Ponraj and Radhakrishnan started raising an alarm.
“The local residents soon caught hold of the two men and started beating them,” said the officer. The police team, however, rescued the two black magicians and took them to Chengalpattu police station. There is no provision in the statute to book a man for molesting another man. “But the complainant also said both the accused had threatened them. So we have booked them for criminal intimidation,” said inspector Rukmangathan.