Self-styled godman held for molesting 17-year-old girl in Kerala's Thrissur

Police have arrested a 39-year-old self-styled godman here on charges of molesting a minor girl on the pretext of practising black magic.

Thrissur native Madathilan Rajeev was taken into custody yesterday on the complaint of the 17-year-old girl who said he attempted to molest her, police said.

''He is a self-proclaimed godman. He had established a temple and was used to engage in black magic.

We had received information that he used to do rituals involving women and girls but none had complained yet.

Yesterday, this girl approached us with the complaint and we arrested him under the POCSO Act,'' police told PTI.

Police said Rajeev was a daily wager but recentlyhad accumulated huge wealththrough conducting black magic rituals.

Police suspect that he had molested more women on the pretext of rituals and are expecting more complaints to come up in the comingdays.