The city Mahila police on Saturday arrested a fraud godman on charges of attempt to rape, house trespass and sexual harassment to a married woman at Mahanadi Vihar area of the city here and forwarded him to court. later, the court remanded him in jail custody.

“The 42-year-old Sachitra Parida of Kaibalya Ashram in Chandikhol of Jajpur district has been booked under Sections 341, 448, 354-A, 354-B, 376 (2) (f) and 506 of IPC,” said Mahila police station inspector Sujata Jena.

Jena said the childless woman, who has been married for over four years, had met Parida in his Ashram along with her husband several times seeking the god man’s blessings for a child.  However, suspecting Parida’s motive after he insisted to have physical relation with her, the woman had stopped visiting him for past several days.

“On Friday, Parida telephoned the woman and told her to be ready for a puja on Saturday at her home. He also warned the woman that if the puja was not held then her husband would die soon and she would spend the rest of her life as a widow,” Jena said, adding that the woman agreed for the puja fearing the consequences.

 Accordingly, on Saturday, Parida arrived at the woman’s place in the afternoon when her husband was away at his job. Seeing the woman alone, Parida disrobed himself and pounded upon the woman in an attempt to rape her.

The woman soon raised an alarm when neighbours rushed to the spot and rescued her after thrashing Parida, Jena said, adding that Parida was handed over to the local police by the woman’s husband and brother, who by the time had arrived at the spot.