Palanpur: A man posing as a healer allegedly raped a married woman repeatedly over eight years by threatening that the deity he invoked would be angered and bring harm to her family if she refused to comply with his demands. The accused also allegedly took the woman to guesthouses in Visnagar and Vijapur to sexually exploit her.The 34-year-old woman lodged a complaint at Visnagar Taluka police station against Kirit Chaudhary, who claimed to be a healer, and two others who allegedly demanded sexual favours from her.MC Patel, inspector at Visnagar Taluka police station, said the woman approached the police on Oct 11, having grown exasperated with Chaudhary’s demands and threats.“The family became acquainted with Chaudhary eight years ago when they visited a temple in Visnagar. Chaudhary allegedly took the woman to various guesthouses in Visnagar and Vijapur, where he forced her into sexual relations,” Patel told reporters.The investigating officer said Chaudhary allegedly intimidated the woman by warning that ‘Mataji would be upset’ and harm her family if she went against his wishes.Police said two other accused, Shailesh Chaudhary and Harshil Chaudhary, reportedly associates of Kirit Chaudhary, were also booked for allegedly demanding sexual relations with the woman.Patel said several teams had been formed to apprehend the three accused.
