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A 50-year-old Hindu priest from New York has been arrested in Canada after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman during a religious ceremony in Oshawa, Ontario. Durham Regional Police said Rajendranauth Doodnauth Maraj was hired by a family to perform the religious ceremony before allegedly convincing the woman that she was possessed by evil spirits and needed a special ritual to heal herself.

Religious ceremony turns into alleged assault

Police said the incident was reported on August 25 near Harmony Road North and Conlin Road East. Investigators allege Maraj took the woman to a private location and sexually assaulted her “under the guise of performing a religious ceremony.” Police later arrested him without incident.

Maraj, a resident of Richmond Hill, New York, faces one count of sexual assault and was held for a bail hearing. Police said they believe there could be other victims and released his photograph while appealing for information about this or similar incidents. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Other religious ceremony cases raise concern

The case has echoes of earlier Canadian investigations involving people accused of exploiting religious roles. In 2016, Peel police charged self-described Sufi religious healer Syed Ahmed Amir Khan over alleged sexual offences involving a 15-year-old girl and a 20-year-old woman. Police said he operated as a religious healer for several years and appeared to target followers of Sufism.

In March 2025, Peel police also charged Brampton religious leader Ashok Kumar, 69, with sexual assault after a woman allegedly visited his residence for a religious ceremony. Investigators said at the time they believed there could be additional victims.

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