Court slams police for removing rape charges against monk in chargesheet

JAMSHEDPUR: A local court reprimanded an investigating officer for removing rape charges against Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) monk Sujit Maharaj, accused of raping a minor in his ashram on December 18 last year. The court of additional district judge-1 also added rape charges in the police chargesheet, while taking cognizance of the chargesheet submitted in the court on February 19 this year.

“The court of ADJ-1 Radhakrishna reprimanded the IO Munita Kumari for removing section 376-c (rape) and replacing it with section 354-a (sexual harassment) in the chargesheet. The court took cognizance of the police chargeshteet after adding section 376 (2) (i), 511, 354, 354 (a) of IPC along with sections 4, 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act against the accused monk on Friday,” Praveen Kumar Singh, the lawyer representing the 15-year-old victim, said.

Singh further said that the court has fixed March 15 as the next date of hearing. “The court also took strong note of overwriting in the police chargesheet by the IO.

“Police had changed the section 376 (c) of IPC into section 354 (a) of IPC for sexual harassment, which is bailable with a maximum jail term of three years. Police had also removed section 4 of POCSO Act and charged the rape-accused monk under section 8 of POCSO Act for sexual assault, which has jail term of three years to five years. Now the court has added section 511 of IPC, which has a life term penal provision,” added Singh.

IO Munita Kumari had stated in the chargesheet that the sections have been changed as per directives of DSP (HQ-2) and senior city SP in their supervision reports and as the medical report has not confirmed rape.

The medical report by a fourmember medical board headed by East Singhbum district civil surgeon Dr Maheshwar Prasad has stated that “there was no evidence of forcible sexual intercourse.”

Senior lawyer Ajay Singh Rathore, representing the victim, said they would challenge the medical report and file a writ petition against the four doctors in the medical board – Dr Maheshwar Prasad, Dr Poonam Mehta, Dr Premlata and Dr Bimlesh Kumar. “They have submitted a doctored report,” said Rathore.