Ludhiana, Aug. 5: A Delhi woman has accused a Ludhiana-based astrologer of sexually harassing and attempting to assault her during a ritual at a city hotel, while police have separately arrested a labourer for allegedly attempting to rape a five-year-old girl in another incident.
Police said a case has been registered against astrologer Rohit Sood, a resident of New Deep Nagar in Ludhiana, based on the complaint of the 22-year-old woman, who had recently returned from Canada.
According to the complaint, the woman had travelled to Ludhiana with her mother and younger brother and was staying at a hotel when the family invited the astrologer to perform a ritual for her brother. She alleged that during the session, the accused sent her mother out to fetch items and asked her brother to leave the room before claiming that she was possessed by “two ghosts” and needed a special ritual.
The woman alleged that the astrologer then touched her inappropriately, sexually harassed her and attempted to rape her before she managed to escape.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Davinder Singh, the investigating officer, said a case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to sexual harassment, assault on a woman, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and insulting the modesty of a woman. Police are collecting CCTV footage from the hotel as part of the investigation.
In a separate case, the Daba police arrested a 20-year-old labourer, identified as Akashdeep Singh, for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a five-year-old girl after she entered his house to retrieve a ball.
According to the girl’s mother, the child had gone to the neighbour’s house after her ball fell into the premises while she was playing on the rooftop. The accused allegedly took the child inside a room, prompting the mother to rush in after hearing her cries.
Police said the accused was caught by the family and neighbours before being handed over to the authorities.
ASI Surinder Kumar said the accused has been booked under Section 65(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to rape of a girl below 12 years of age, along with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The investigation is underway.
