A minor girl who went missing from an ashram in Visakhapatnam has told the Disha police station, which looks into crimes against women in Andhra Pradesh, that Swami Poornananda repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped her in the ashram, Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivekananda told NDTV.
The girl is said to have been living in the ashram since 2016, and reportedly went missing on June 13. The police registered a missing case and had examined CCTV footage on June 15.
The Andhra Pradesh police told NDTV an earlier complaint in 2012 by another minor of rape against the same seer is under trial. It isn't yet clear how the ashram had children when the rape case was under trial, and if he had a licence to keep children.
12 children live in the ashram, and four of them are girls.
Swami Poornananda, a 64-year-old unmarried man, is highly educationally qualified, with a double master's degree, B. Ed., and law degrees. He allegedly has a history of abuse.
The police told NDTV that there are multiple cases against him, and he is also said to be involved in land disputes. The 9.5 acres of ashram land is also under dispute. Poornananda reportedly told the police that the cases against him are motivated by those eying the land.
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