Self-Styled Godman Accused in Shocking Rape Case

A case has been filed against a self-styled godman from Maharashtra's Palghar district for the alleged rape of a 35-year-old Pune-based woman. The accused, Hrishikesh Vaidya, is reported to have claimed he was an incarnation of Lord Shiva to deceive the woman.

According to the police, the woman met Vaidya on Facebook in 2023 and agreed to meet him in Pune. It is alleged that Vaidya used his supposed divine identity as part of a strategy to exploit the woman, taking her to a lodge where he administered a numbing agent before assaulting her.

The complainant's courage to report came after a recent arrest of another godman in Nashik, which encouraged her to come forward. The Manikpur police registered a 'Zero FIR', handing the case to the Hadapsar police station in Pune for further investigation. The accused denies the allegations on social media.