A self-styled godman based in Rajasthan, known popularly as Falahari Baba, has been arrested by the police for allegedly raping a 21-year-old law student from Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district.
Based on the woman's complaint, a case was lodged against 70-year-old Swami Kaushlendra Prapannachari Falahari Maharaj with the women police station on 11 September, said Bilaspur Additional Superintendent of Police Archana Jha.
As per the complaint, the parents of the woman, who is studying law in Jaipur, have been followers of Falahari Maharaj for the past several years, the police officer said.
On the baba's recommendation, she did an internship under a senior lawyer in New Delhi for which she received a stipend of Rs 3,000. Her parents asked her to donate the stipend to the baba’s ashram in Alwar, the ASP said.
Following her parents' advice, she went to the ashram on Raksha Bandhan last month. Citing occurrence of 'grahan' (eclipse) that day, the self-proclaimed religious guru advised her to stay in the ashram which she agreed to, Jha said.
The baba asked her not to tell anyone about the incident and threatened to harm her if she did so, she said.
When the survivor came home, she narrated the ordeal to her parents following which a rape complaint was lodged with the women cell, Jha added.
“Bilaspur police have sent the complaint. We have registered a case of sexual exploitation and initiated investigation,” Station House Officer Aravali police station, Hemraj Meena, said.
He said that they visited the ashram of the accused from where it was found that he was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Alwar.
(With PTI inputs)
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