Self-styled godman held in TN for abusing women, surreptitiously filming them

 A self-styled godman, who duped people by claiming to perform occult rites, was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing and filming women and minor girls in an obscene manner and selling the video clips, police said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Vijayaraja (50), was running an occult rituals centre at Vazhapadi near here and he clandestinely filmed his victims under the pretext of performing rites, before distributing the footage through dark web forums, the police added.

The crime came to light when he allegedly attempted to molest a schoolgirl who had approached him to collect donations for Vinayagar Chaturthi festival.

The frightened student informed her parents, prompting an angry group of family members and local youths to storm the ritual centre named 'Saneeswara.'

Noticing the approaching crowd, Vijayaraja locked the premises and fled the area.

Following an intensive search, locals tracked him down at a hiding spot nearby, restrained him, and handed him over to the Vazhapadi police.

The arrest led to the recovery of a laptop containing over 50 videos of women and schoolgirls, that purportedly showed them in an obscene manner.

Such videos were filmed without their knowledge after giving unsuspecting women spiked drinking water or eatables laced with sedatives, in the form of prasad.

Vijayaraja, after the utensil manufacturing unit in which he worked folded up, began falsely claiming that he is a "godman and practitioner of occult rituals".

Using hidden cameras, he filmed his victims in an obscene manner using underhanded tactics. Also, he had sexually abused a number of them when they were in an incapacitated state, the police added.

During interrogation, Vijayaraja confessed that a portal offered to pay him for such videos and he filmed his victims and sent the footage to that website.

The police have registered a case against him under relevant sections of the law, and are investigating whether more individuals or networks are involved in the crime.

Police have seized his mobile phone and digital storage devices, and a detailed probe is currently underway.