Kollam: Puthoor Police on Sunday registered a case against an astrologer for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl under the guise of exorcising demons out of her. The accused has been identified as Rajan Babu alias Murari Tantri (52), a native of Vendar in Puthoor.

According to the Puthoor Station House Officer (SHO), the complaint was lodged by the child's mother through a phone call on Sunday. The accused, who practises astrology at his residence, allegedly assaulted the child there. "A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and an investigation is underway," the SHO said.

Former Kulakkada panchayat vice-president R Rajesh said Rajan Babu had earlier worked as an autorickshaw driver before learning astrology from a senior practitioner and taking it up professionally. He was known as Murari before becoming an astrologer and has been practising for about eight years, he said. According to Rajesh, the accused also operates a travel agency under the name Murari Jyothishalayam and organises astrology-related foreign trips. "This is the first complaint we have heard against him," Rajesh said.