The accused had allegedly cut the woman’s hair for the purported ritual and handed over a garland, a small bottle of perfume, and honey and coins. (Ai generated image)Seven months after a 28-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide, Vadodara city police have arrested a self-styled shaman for allegedly driving her to the extreme step through a relationship – after allegedly carrying out tantric rituals to “heal her illness”.The woman, who worked as a manager at a photo studio in Karelibaug, consumed rat poison in December 2025 and died while undergoing treatment at SSG Hospital on January 6, 2026.The accused, Girish alias Bapu Parmar, was arrested by Kumbharwada police station late on Tuesday (August 18).He has been charged under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), which deals with abetment of suicide, and Section 354, which deals with compelling or inducing a person to do or omit an act by putting them in fear of incurring divine displeasure.According to the complaint filed by the woman’s mother, Parmar allegedly convinced her daughter that “a witch had sat on her chest” – a superstitious belief for a condition related to one’s sleeping pattern – and that she needed to undergo a tantric ritual to get rid of the malign presence.According to police, the accused used this claim to “frighten and control her (the woman)”.Police Inspector A J Pandav of Kumbharwada police station said: “The accused had allegedly cut the woman’s hair for the purported ritual and handed over a garland, a small bottle of perfume, and honey and coins. She had been harassed by him regularly under the pretext of the rituals. He lured her into a relationship despite being married and eventually, she took the drastic step (suicide) in January.”Story continues below this ad“It began as an association for the rituals to heal her…and turned into a relationship in which the woman was allegedly subjected to repeated physical and psychological harassment. He also obtained money from her and she was in distress,” the police officer said.Pandav said police had conducted the investigation after initially lodging a case of accidental death. The accused was traced on the basis of information gathered during the investigation, he said. The FIR was registered at the Kumbharwada police station late in the evening on August 17.“We were investigating. The items seized from the spot – the hair, the perfume and honey bottles, coins, as well as the phone of the victim were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL),” Pandav said.“The Call Detail Record (CDR) analysis and the FSL report confirmed that there was a prima facie case for abetment against the accused,” he said.Story continues below this adAccording to police, the woman’s health began deteriorating on December 29, 2025, and she was admitted to SSG Hospital in a serious condition on December 31. The medical examination revealed that she had consumed rat poison, following which she was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital on January 1.While the woman was admitted to the hospital, the owner of the studio where she worked allegedly examined her mobile phone and asked her some questions. It was then that the account of the alleged relationship with the accused and the subsequent harassment emerged, police said.The woman died in the early hours of January 6. Her mother then approached police, alleging that the accused’s conduct and harassment had driven her daughter to die by suicide. Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram