Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police has arrested three persons on charges of molesting a married woman on the pretext of performing some rituals in the Odisha capital here yesterday.

The arrested have been identified as prime accused Rabindra Rana and his aides Sushant Mahapatra and Kanduri Mahapatra of Khurda area.

Rabindra reportedly claimed himself as Kalishi (person possessed by a female deity) and collected donations from people to perform rituals before Goddess Mangala.

The three accused reportedly volunteered to perform certain rituals for an issueless married woman, who was staying with her mother-in-law in Khandagiri area in the city here, so that she could beget a child.

They reportedly sought Rs 2,000 from the woman to perform the special rituals.

As directed by Rabindra, the woman made all arrangements for the rituals in her home. Rabindra reportedly took the woman to a room on the pretext of assisting her to wear a new sari as part of rituals and molested her.

The prime accused and his two aides tried to flee when the woman raised an alarm. However, the locals gathered at the spot and managed to capture the trio. They were later handed over to Khandagiri police.