Self-styled godman arrested for raping devotee in Bhopal
Bhopal/Gwalior, Aug 9: Self-styled godman Swami Vairagyanand Giri alias Mirchi Baba has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman devotee in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal, police said on Tuesday.
The accused godman was arrested from a hotel in Gwalior in the morning, Gwalior superintendent of police Amit Sanghi said.
Based on a complaint lodged by a woman devotee, a case has been registered against Giri under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, additional commissioner of police (ACP) Richa Choubey said.
The godman was produced in court in Bhopal and has been remanded to judicial custody till August 22. According to the complaint lodged on Monday, the accused godman had raped the woman in Bhopal on July 17, she said.
The complainant said that she had been childless for a long time after marriage and had come in contact with Giri, who promised that she would conceive through some rituals, the official said.
The woman has alleged that the godman raped her when she fainted after consuming an offering given by him, she said.
The victim has claimed that she could not lodge a complaint immediately after the incident out of fear of social stigma, the official said.
Notably, Giri had supported the Congress in the last state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
The godman had organised a yagna for the victory of Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh in the Lok Sabha polls and had announced to take "samadhi" (entombment) following a failed prediction of his victory.
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Efforts on to bring Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna back to India: Home Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said efforts are on to bring Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of sexual abuse against women, back to India.
He also asserted that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case was functioning efficiently.
The 33-year-old Prajwal, who is the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda, is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women.
The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a slugfest.
Prajwal reportedly left for Germany on April 27 and is still at large.
He was BJP-JD(S) alliance's candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls in the first phase on April 26.
"Procedures are on, until we secure him, bring him back here and take action in accordance with law, they will continue. We will neither slow it nor stop it," Parameshwara told reporters on questions about the Interpol's Blue Corner Notice that was issued against Prajwal.
On BJP alleging that the government was "responsible" for Prajwal's "escape" from the country, the Minister said, "They will say it, they have to say such things. They cannot say the government is doing a good job. But we have a responsibility as a government. Such incidents cannot be taken lightly. We will do our job."
Accusing the Congress government of trying to tarnish the reputation of Deve Gowda's family instead of ensuring justice to victims of alleged sex videos scandal case involving Prajwal, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy had recently alleged that every bit of information on the investigation is being sent to a Congress MLA of Mandya district, but not the Home Minister.
Reacting to this, Parameshwara said: "Kumaraswamy is also well aware, several things we cannot bring to the public domain, because the investigation is on. Who will brief the Mandya MLA? Making such allegations is easy. We all have responsibility and we are functioning with responsibility, and we are not under any compulsions."
"I want to tell him (Kumaraswamy) that SIT is working efficiently, and whatever they have to brief me or the Chief Minister, they will brief. Let there be no doubts about it," he said.
