Karnataka Police have arrested self-proclaimed exorcist Satish Patri in Bengaluru nearly a month after he went into hiding following allegations of repeated rape, extortion and abuse carried out under the guise of driving out evil spirits. A police constable accused of leaking investigation movements to Patri has also been suspended.
Patri, described by police as a well-known practitioner of black magic in Chikkamagaluru and neighbouring districts, was arrested from a house in Bengaluru’s JP Nagar on Monday and remanded to judicial custody. The Chikkamagaluru district police have registered two cases against him under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act.
The first case was registered on August 23 after a complainant alleged that Patri, who had served as the chief priest at a temple and conducted exorcisms for nearly five years, extorted money, mainly from women. The complainant said Patri threatened women with dire consequences and black magic if they did not appear before him when summoned. When the complainant and local villagers questioned him on August 20, Patri allegedly abused them and issued death threats.
Patri initially secured bail in that case, while an application seeking cancellation of his bail was later rejected by a local court. An appeal against that decision is pending before the Karnataka High Court. His legal status in the cases will be determined through the judicial process.
The investigation expanded after videos circulated online allegedly showing Patri abusing women, extorting money and forcing a minor girl to drink chicken blood during an exorcism ritual. A woman from Hassan approached the police on September 3 and alleged that Patri had exploited her superstitious beliefs and repeatedly raped her near a temple since 2023.
Police said Patri became difficult to trace after going into hiding. Investigators alleged that he stopped using SIM cards and standard telephone calls, instead communicating through internet data and conference calls on a new mobile phone. Multiple police teams were formed to locate him.
During the investigation, police identified a constable named Kantesh as an alleged source of information about police movements. The Chikkamagaluru district police subsequently suspended him for misconduct. The case has raised concerns about how alleged abuse can continue when victims are deterred from approaching law-enforcement agencies and when accused persons receive advance information about investigations.
A police officer told The Indian Express that investigators suspect there may be more victims who have not yet come forward because of fear. The officer said many women had undergone trauma but remained hesitant to file complaints, adding that the woman who complained in the rape case had allegedly been suffering since 2023 and approached the police only after the first case was registered and the videos became public. Patri remains in judicial custody as the investigation continues.
