Sordid saga: Sleazy tantrik who abducted, exploited a young girl

LUCKNOW: In a nation where millions have immense trust in godmen and their powers, here is a case that unveils the real face of a ‘tantrik’ and illustrates how misplaced faith can lead to ruination.

The case came to light in Jaunpur, after Sudha (name isation working for the rights of such girls. After Sudha’s disclosures, the organisation and the police, raided the tantrik’’s ashram and found five women and 22 children -all of whom changed), 21, victim of a ‘tantrik’, managed to free herself from his clutches and exposed him.

An aspiring fashion designer of Jaunpur, Sudha, is now mother to a 10-month-old baby, born out of the sexual abuse that the girl underwent numerous times. She was exploited by the ‘tantrik’, his son and several other men who frequented the tantrik’s ashram.

The ‘tantrik’ is in jail, after a raid on his ashram on July 30 found him involved in human trafficking.

Five women and 22 babies were rescued from the ashram. All were victims of the tantrik.

Sudha was kidnapped by the tantrik, who was known to her uncle. The man took the girl to his ashram, in an isolated location on the outskirts and held her captive for more than a year.

“When I found myself in the ashram, I realised that I was not the only one. The tantrik had five other women in the ashram,” she said.

The man and his son would take turns to rape the girl. “Not just this, even the other clients who came to meet the tantrik took undue advantage of the six of us,” said Sudha.

“He would terrify me with his ‘powers’ and say that he would ruin my family. He would force me to call my parents and

THE FAKE GODMAN KIDNAPPED A 21-YR-OLD, HELD HER CAPTIVE FOR A YEAR AND SEXUALLY EXPLOITED HER

tell them that I had eloped with my lover and would be back soon,” she said.

The injury marks that the man made on her with a knife each time she refused to bow before his wishes, are still quite prominent on her body.

The place was completely isolated and there was no way the girl could find her way out. But a month ago, she mustered enough courage to inform her family about her plight. Her brother managed to rescue her. The family sent her to an organ- were forced into prostitution by the tantrik.

“The man, who is now in jail, admitted to the police that he had kept the girl captive with his powers,” said the members of the organisation that has given shelter to the girl.

Sudha is now recovering from her painful past and trying to begin life afresh. The organisation is helping her enrol in her designing course and start a soft toy business.

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