Alwar godman booked for rape
Hospital, where godman is admitted, says he is free to go; Local politicians defend Maharaj
A 58-year-old self-styled godman in Rajasthan’s Alwar allegedly raped a 21-yearold law student after promising her to make her a judge, police said on Thursday, the latest in a series of scandals involving dubious faith leaders.
The Alwar police are yet to question rape accused self-styled godman Falahari Maharaj even though a day has passed since the case files reached Rajasthan.
Officials from the hospital management where the godman is currently admitted said that his condition is stable and he is free to go. Despite that, the police are yet to question or arrest the accused.
“When the Maharaj came on Wednesday, he was senseless and had high blood pressure along with fever. Now, he is normal and has been discharged. From our side, he is free to go,” Pankaj Sharma, director of the private hospital where the godman is admitted told HT.However, the police are yet to take a decision on either arresting or questioning him.
“We are finishing up investigation in the matter and after that, a decision will be taken,” said Rahul Prakash, Alwar superintendent of police. He confirmed that the godman is yet to be questioned by the police.
A 21-year-old law student from Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh has accused the godman of raping her on August 7 at his ashram in Alwar. The woman lodged an FIR and state police took up the case on September 11.
The allegations come roughly a month after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of raping two women devotees 15 years ago. Police said Singh’s conviction motivated the woman to make the complaint.After the Chhattisgarh police brought the case files to Alwar on Wednesday, the godman got himself admitted to a private hospital and was kept at the ICU. On the other hand, local politicians expressed doubts over the authenticity of the allegation on the godman on Thursday.
“This is a conspiracy to frame the Maharaj,” said Dharamveer Sharma, district BJP president.
Former Congress MLA from Thana Ghazi KM Gangawat, too, said that he respects the godman because he runs a school inside the premise of his ashram where education of Vedas and Karmkand is imparted.