Kasaragod: A 55-year-old man posing as a traditional healer has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a young endosulfan victim and sexually abusing her mother. The accused, Shihabuddin, a native of Perla residing in Taliparamba, was taken into custody by Hosdurg Inspector P Ajithkumar.
Shihabuddin had reportedly approached the family—residing within the Hosdurg police limits—under the pretext of curing the daughter’s health complications caused by endosulfan exposure. Gaining their trust, he began visiting them frequently and later convinced the family—including the victim, her two sisters, and parents—to accompany him to his house in Taliparamba. Allegations suggest the sisters were forced to stay there for a period.
Once entrenched in their lives, Shihabuddin allegedly attempted to take control of their property. Realizing the deceit, the family eventually returned to their home. However, he reportedly made another attempt to exploit them by targeting 100 sovereigns of gold kept in a bank locker under the mother’s name.
In a recent incident, he allegedly physically assaulted the young woman in an attempt to force the family into handing over the valuables. He has since been remanded by the Hosdurg First Class Magistrate (I) Court.
Police say further investigation is underway to determine if others may have been similarly exploited.