Falahari Maharaj arrested, in judicial custody till October 6

CHECKUP Godman was taken to govt hospital, docs say he is perfectly fine

JAIPUR/ALWAR: Police in Rajasthan’s Alwar arrested on Saturday Falahari Maharaj, a 58-yearold self-styled godman who is accused of raping a 21-year-old law student after promising to make her a judge.

The arrest of the ‘godman’ comes three days after the case files reached Alwar from Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, where the law student lives. After his arrest, Falahari Maharaj was presented at a local court and sent to judicial custody till October 6 after his bail application was rejected.

“In the case that was registered against Falahari Maharaj, the accusations under section 376 (rape) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) have been found true and he has been arrested,” said additional superintendent of police (headquarters) Paras Jain.

The godman commands a strong following across northern India and the delay in his arrest sparked speculation that police might be holding back due to political pressure.

Police said he allegedly raped the woman devotee on August 7 when she went to his ashram to offer her first stipend as a token of respect. The woman lodged an FIR and the state police took up the case on September 11, after being motivated by the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for rape.

‘GODMAN FIT’

Prior to his arrest, the godman was admitted to a private hospital in Alwar since Wednesday evening from where he was arrested on Saturday afternoon.

Contradicting claims that the godman was ill, members of a medical board which checked the Maharaj at a government hospital, said that he was perfectly fine.

The police took the godman for the checkup under heavy security cover. “In the medical checkup, we haven’t found anything that could suggest that the maharaj is ill. Be it physically or mentally, the godman is perfectly fine,” said KK Meena, member of the medical board that examined the godman.

He added that blood and saliva samples have been sent to the forensic science laboratory to determine the potency of the godman. “Although preliminary medical tests suggest nothing unusual,” said Meena.

After the medical checkup, the godman was presented in court.

Talking to reporters, while being taken to the jail, he said that he has full faith in the judiciary.