Exorcist arrested for raping woman and molesting another in claimed trance

By Norman Palihawadane

The Hali Ela police has arrested an exorcist for raping a woman and molesting another at Landewela in Bogoda.

The arrest took place following a complaint from a person that the exorcist had raped his mother and molested his wife. The complainant told police that he had hired the exorcist from Polonnaruwa to remove curse on his family. The exorcist got all the males to leave the house before he committed the sexual offences.

After the pooja, the rape victim informed her husband of the incident and he lodged a complaint with the Hali Ela police. The accused (40) was found to be a member of the Civil Defence Force working at Medirigiriya. He has told the police that he was in a trance and did not know what took place in the house while performing the pooja.

The suspect would be produced before the Badulla Magistrate, police said.