India, Feb. 9 -- Police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly raping a minor girl under the guise of exorcism in Kerala's Kollam district.

The accused, identified as Rajan Babu alias Murari, was a local sorcerer. He had been absconding since the assault was reported on Sunday, following which police launched a hunt for him, PTI news agency reported citing officials.

Apart from being a sorcerer, Murari was also known to be active across social media platforms, police said.

Murari used to reside in the Vendar area of Puthur, where the victim and her mother had visited earlier to seek astrological advice.

During this visit, Murari succeeded in making them believe that their issues were caused by an evil spirit who possessed the girl's b...