Shaman in custody for rape

Rautahat, August 23

Villagers have taken a shaman under control and handed him over to the police after his alleged involvement in raping a married woman in the name of treating her through his magical powers at Jokaha VDC, in Rautahat, yesterday night.

The locals handed Shekh Mofijul Hak, 45, the shaman of Jokaha VDC over to the police as he had raped a 25-year-old woman from the same VDC yesterday.

According to police, the woman’s family members had called Hak to the house to treat the woman as she had not borne any child though she had married eight years ago. Hak did not let other persons enter the woman’s room while he was using his ‘magical powers’. He said no one would be there while he was treating the woman with his divine power.

The family of the victim said he raped the woman in the name of treating her with his divine power. The woman’s husband said the shaman started to treat his wife after evicting others from the room. “I was also there in the room with my wife, but he asked me to bring water from seven different taps of the village,” he added. He further added that the shaman was raping his wife when he entered with the water.

DPO Rautahat said the woman’s family members and villagers had locked the shaman inside the room and called the police. Police then took the woman and the shaman for health check-up to the district hospital. Doctors at the hospital said the woman was raped.

DSP Sudhir Raj Shahi said the accused has been kept in the custody of DPO.