Bengaluru: The Chennammanakere Achchukattu police have booked an astrologer for allegedly sexually assaulting a 35-year-old beautician and cheating her of a few lakhs of rupees on the pretext of rituals to facilitate growth of her business.
The accused has been identified as Mohan Kumar J (38), of Kumbalgodu.
The woman alleged that Kumar visited her beauty academy in Rajajinagar in January 2025, claiming his sister was interested in enrolling for a beautician course.
Kumar allegedly posed as a healer and astrologer and convinced the woman that he would perform special poojas to help her business
grow.
The astrologer took the woman to temples in Ramanagara and Mysuru, where he allegedly misbehaved with her and attempted to rape
her.
In February 2025, he allegedly sexually assaulted her at her residence after sending her husband and son to a nearby park, asking them to walk around a tree for over an hour as part of a ritual.
When the woman resisted, he allegedly threatened to harm her family through "black magic". Kumar switched off the lights and sexually assaulted her, she alleged in the complaint.
The traumatised woman reportedly attempted suicide recently before informing her family of the torture she was undergoing. The woman later approached the police.
A case has been registered and efforts are on to nab the accused, police said.