In a shocking incident, a man allegedly molested two minor girls and raped three women after luring them with the promise of solving their problems through “magical powers” in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

Police had recently arrested the accused, identified as Dharmendra Das alias Dharmendra Dubey (35), in connection with a different case. On Wednesday, three women approached the police and lodged complaints against Dubey, accusing him of raping them after offering solutions to their problems through magical powers, which he claimed to possess. Two minor sisters have also lodged a molestation complaint against him. Police have registered a total of four FIRs- three for rape and one for molestation- against the accused.

Police said that Dubey is married and has a child. He has built a small temple within the premises of his house. People meet him there for solutions to their problems. Last week, police conducted a raid at his house after receiving a tip-off that he was sexually-exploiting women.

Police seized two kilogrammes of marijuana from Dubey’s possession and arrested him. An offence was registered against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. While he was already in jail, the police on Wednesday received rape and molestation complaints against him, sub-divisional officer of police (SDoP) Mohanti Maravi told Hindustan Times.

The officer stated that Dubey has been sexually exploiting women for the last five years. More victims may lodge complaints against him in the coming days. Police have also seized some objectionable photos and videos from his house during the raid, the officer added.

In another incident, an occultist allegedly raped a 20-year-old married woman on the pretext of “ridding her of negative energy” in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh in June. The survivor’s husband told the police that the accused fed him and his wife sedative-laced ash, following which they fell unconscious. Thereafter, the accused raped his wife.