Police arrest self-styled Icchadhari Baba for alleged rape and extortion in Rudrapur

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun

Police arrested a self-styled godman Rambhakt (45) known as the Icchadhari Baba who allegedly raped and scammed a woman in Rudrapur, Udham Singh Nagar district by claiming he could unearth hidden treasure from beneath her home.

The Udham Singh Nagar senior superintendent of police Manikant Mishra said that according to the complaint filed on June 8, the accused entered the woman’s home under the pretense of performing a ritual to extract buried wealth. He then allegedly raped her and recorded a video of the assault. Using the video, he extorted Rs five lakh from the victim and later demanded an additional Rs 20 lakh, threatening to release the footage, as per SSP. He said that following the complaint, a special investigation team tracked the accused through surveillance and technical analysis.

Police arrested him late on Monday near Rampur Road in Rudrapur while he was allegedly preparing to flee to Mumbai. Mishra said that investigations revealed that the accused had posed as a spiritual healer and used multiple disguises to deceive people. He rented luxury cars and pretended to be a wealthy businessman to gain trust. He allegedly performed staged rituals involving hair burning, animal sacrifice and snake handling to exploit people’s fear and superstition, as per Mishra. 

The SSP said that the accused also allegedly targeted childless women, promising solutions through rituals and medicines in exchange for money. He claimed to have learned hypnotic and controlling practices from a man known as Peer Junaid in Bareilly. He reportedly convinced victims that he could remove curses or help them become wealthy by locating hidden treasures on their property.

The SSP said that Rambhakt’s criminal record includes several cases under charges such as rape, criminal intimidation and fraud, registered at Rudrapur’s Transit Camp police station and Kotwali. He informed that Rambhakt had previously been jailed on similar charges. Mishra said that following his arrest, legal proceedings are underway and further action will be taken accordingly.