Maharashtra: Another fake Godman arrested for rape; 40-year-old man nabbed in Palghar

New Delhi: A 40-year-old man named Rishikesh Vaidya, a resident of Maharashtra's Palghar district, has been arrested on charges of raping a woman. The accused claimed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva and employed social media as a means to entrap women. The incident originated in 2023 through a friendship formed on Facebook, when the victim first established contact with the accused. Subsequently, in December 2023, Rishikesh traveled to Pune and deceived the woman by identifying himself as 'Mahadev' (Lord Shiva). He referred to her as his 'Parvati' and exploited her religious sentiments to betray her trust.

What is the issue?

According to the police, the accused drugged the woman with a sedative substance to facilitate her exploitation and subsequently blackmailed her using compromising photographs he had secretly taken. The accused raped the woman at a lodge located in the Manjari area of ​​Pune. Following this, in May 2024, he attempted to sexually exploit her once again at a hotel in Vasai. The victim is a 34-year-old resident of Pune who, due to the accused's deception and blackmail, remained silent about the ordeal for a considerable period. The accused runs a social organization in Palghar, within the guise of which he carried out these illicit activities.

Were Multiple Women Victimized?

According to police officials, the accused employed this modus operandi with several other women as well, exploiting them by claiming to possess divine powers. The victim gathered the courage to file a complaint after learning about the case of Ashok Kharat—a self-styled god arrested in Nashik. Following the emergence of multiple cases of rape and exploitation against Kharat, the victim stepped forward to share her own story. On Wednesday, a 'Zero FIR' was registered at the Manikpur Police Station, which was subsequently transferred to the Hadapsar Police Station in Pune for further investigation.

Senior Inspector Hiralal Jadhav confirmed that the accused, Rishikesh Vaidya, has been taken into custody. The ongoing investigation is also examining potential cases involving the exploitation of other women to ensure that the full truth comes to light. This incident has once again brought to the forefront the issue of women being exploited by self-styled godmen in Maharashtra. Such individuals exploit religious sentiments to target innocent women, subsequently blackmailing them into silence. Thanks to the proactive efforts of the police and the courage of the victims, such cases are now coming to light.