The Bombay High Court has granted anticipatory bail to controversial self-styled god woman Radhe Maa on Thursday in a dowry harassment case. The order was given by Justice Revati Mohite Dere after hearing arguments from the lawyers of Radhe Maa alias Sukhvinder Kaur, Mumbai Police and the housewife who had filed a complaint against the god woman.
The court has asked Radhe Maa to appear as and when required by the Kandivali Police, which is probing the complaint against her. Radhe Maa, who apprehended arrest in the case, had moved the High Court after a sessions court rejected her anticipatory bail petition on August 13.
Mumbai Police had filed a case against her on August 5 for allegedly instigating the in-laws of a 32-year-old housewife to harass her for dowry.
The housewife’s counsel Girish Kulkarni had earlier argued that the in-laws of the complainant were disciples of Radhe Maa. The godwoman had complete control over the family and at her instance they had allegedly taken dowry.
Radhe Maa’s counsel Abad Ponda had argued:
- All the six accused in the dowry case, including the husband of the complainant (housewife), had been given protection by the trial court, except Radhe Maa.
- The allegation against Radhe Maa of instigating the family to extract dowry from the complainant was an ‘afterthought’ and an improvement in the case. Such an accusation was not made during the proceedings filed in the family court two years ago.
In her petition, Radhe Maa had denied all allegations. She in turn alleged that the complainant had levelled allegations only to secure a favourable order from the family court in the dowry case filed by her against in-laws.
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