NEW DELHI: The police have arrested a self-styled godman who allegedly raped a 23-year-old woman inside her house in the presence of her family members in RK Puram of south Delhi .

The accused has been identified as Heera Lal. Lal was approached by the woman’s husband after the latter suspected of an evil soul having taken her into its custody, said an officer quoting the complaint. Lal told him that he would charge him Rs 1260 and help get rid of the evil spirit.

On Monday evening, he reached his house where the woman lived with her husband, his mother, and their two daughters. The godman asked the family members to go inside one of the rooms so that the spirit does not harm them. Once they went in, they accused pulled the latch and began ‘preparetions for the yajna. However when he did not finish for over half an hour, the husband suspected something amiss and peaked through the keyhole and spotted the godman forcing himself on his wife.

He raised alarm and got the door opened and informed the police who rushed the spot. Inspector Aishveer Singh, SHO south campus, questioned Lal and arrested him after registering a case of rape and cheating, a source said. Singh is also a part of the investigating team probing Deepak Bhardwaj murder case.