A popular self-styled pastor was recently arrested after he reportedly raped a heavily pregnant congregant who was seeking marital advice after her husband had denied her conjugal rights.
Ishmael Pasvani (44) was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi yesterday facing rape charges, H-Metro reports
It is the States case that sometime in October last year, the complainant, who is 27 years old and is married, had a misunderstanding with her husband and informed her pastor, Pasvani, who advised her to come for help.
She reportedly went to Pasvani’s place of residence to present her problem and when she got there, he was in the company of his two children who he then sent away and she narrated that her husband was denying her conjugal rights.
The court heard that Pasvani solicited for a sexual encounter with the complainant. When she refused, he became wild and pushed her from the lounge to his bedroom where he lifted her maternity dress and removed her underwear before raping her.
The complainant was seven months pregnant at the time.
After raping her, Pasvani allegedly ordered the complainant not to disclose the incident to anyone arguing that his marriage would collapse.
It is alleged that sometime in November, the complainant went back to Pasvani’s house and was raped again and they continued to chat on WhatsApp.
On December 16, the complainant’s husband took her phone and found messages where they were talking about their sexual encounters and she was sent to her rural home.
However, when her husband visited her at her rural home, she narrated her ordeal and a police report was made leading to Pastor Pasvani’s arrest.
Pastor Pasvani was freed after Magistrate Dennis Mangosi granted him $10 000 bail.
