Sorcerer held for sexually assaulting minors

T’puram: Kilimanoor police arrested a sorcerer on Tuesday for sexually assaulting two minor girls under the guise of performing black magic. The arrested person has been identified as Sharath Babu (55) of Kadakkal, Kollam.

According to police, the household consisted only of the mother and her two minor daughters. There were ongoing disputes and issues related to the sale of the family’s land. To resolve these issues, the family approached Babu. After the land sale proceeded smoothly, the family’s trust in him increased, and he became a regular visitor to the house.

Later, under the pretext of removing ‘evil influences’ from the mother’s body, the accused sexually assaulted her two daughters. The girls were subjected to severe abuse from April 2024 to March 2026. Unable to endure the abuse, the elder sister eventually revealed the matter to her mother.

Following a police case, the accused went into hiding. Police apprehended him after an intensive search using mobile tower data. Babu has been booked under Pocso Act and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.