© The New Indian ExpressAravazhi Siddhar.
The agony faced by the young girl, who had escaped to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh and was selling mangoes to escape from the hands of her tormentors, may have come as a rude shock for many in the city, but for those in BV Colony, what is more shocking is the dark side of their 'Siddhar'.
"He always wore saffron dhoti and his appearance used to be pious. Even though he was known as an astrologer, he was reputed for his special poojas.
We always called him Siddhar and no one knew what his actual name was," said Kamaraj, a local resident and his regular patron.
According to the CB-CID officials, it was the astrologer, who first abused the minor girl and later referred her to two women pimps who started regularly forcing her into flesh trade after administering narcotics.
"It is surprising how such incidents took place without raising any suspicion in this thickly populated area. My house is just adjacent to the hut and even if there is any minor commotion, it can't go unnoticed," said a neighbour of the astrologer.
Siddhar was residing in the same hut for last 15 years. The interiors of the hut resembled like a mini "ashram" as locals refer to this hut.
Comment: Wow, this is surely unprecedented in the current era!?
Let's take a glimpse at what has gotten the U.S. govt paranoid enough to do this: