BENGALURU: The Shivamogga police have arrested a 44-year-old self-styled tantric from an apartment in the city for sexually assaulting a minor. The accused, identified as Anees Baba, was arrested for cheating and sexual abusing a 15-year-old girl, who had gone missing from her home in Tippu Nagar in Shivamogga in April this year.
The police arrested Anees on Monday from an apartment in Devarachikkanahalli near Bommanahalli, off Hosur Road and the girl was rescued. Anees, a resident of Saraipalya, Tannery Road, used to pose as a tantric and cheat gullible people by claiming he could perform black magic. Under the pretext of warding off evil, he used to sexually abuse women, police said.
According to the police, the family members of the girl had approached Anees after they learnt about his ‘powers’ to cure ailing people. Her father Rizvi (name changed), a labourer, was suffering from paralysis. Anees assured the family that he would cure Rizvi and allegedly told them that he needs to travel to Shivamogga to see him.
Rizvi’s family members brought Anees to Shivamogga, where he decided to stay with the family under the pretext of performing rituals. Family members claimed that Anees started luring Rizvi’s daughter.
By the time they came to know about Anees’ intentions, he had eloped with the girl. Initially the family launched a search for the girl, but later approached the Shivamogga women’s police station and lodged a missing complaint.
During the investigation, police came to know that Anees was an auto rickshaw driver in Bengaluru and later became a self styled tantric to dupe gullible people to earn easy money.
The police said while verifying the call records of Anees, they came across a call made to an architect in Bengaluru. When they contacted him, who told them about Anees.
After collecting vital information, a team of police from Shivamogga, headed by WPSI Anitha, arrested Anees. They also seized articles used for performing black magic during the raid at his apartment.
During questioning Anees confessed to the crime and was booked under Sections 353, 376 of IPC and POCSO Act 2012. The police have registered a case and investigating about his involvement in other cases.
