Self-styled godman Daati Maharaj is accused of raping a woman disciple.
Highlights
- Daati Maharaj is accused of raping a woman disciple in his ashrams
- The woman has also named two of his male disciples in her complaint
- Delhi police has called him for questioning again on Friday
Self-styled godman Daati Maharaj, accused of raping a disciple in his ashrams, was questioned by Delhi Police for over seven hours last evening. A woman, in her complaint filed last Sunday in south Delhi, alleges that Daati Maharaj repeatedly raped her at his ashrams in Delhi and Rajasthan two years ago.
Police said, during the questioning that began at around 2:30 pm yesterday, he was grilled on the allegations levelled against him by the woman and whether he knew her. The woman has also named two male disciples of the saffron-clad man in her complaint. She said that she was raped at Gurukul Ashwasan in Rajasthan's Bal Gram, adding that she did not file a complaint earlier as she felt intimidated by the self-styled godman.
Daati Maharaj denied these allegations, police said. A senior police officer said that he has been asked to appear again for questioning on Friday.
Last Saturday, a Delhi Police team had visited his ashram in Rajasthan's Pali to gather evidence. The team, which failed to find him at the ashram, was accompanied by the woman. "I had already mentioned to all of you that I am a worker of this nation. I am not an absconder. Whenever they will call me I will always come and cooperate with them," he told reporters yesterday.
The Swati Maliwal-led Delhi Commission for Women had recently sough reasons for the delay in arresting the self-declared godman.
Police had earlier issued a lookout circular against Daati Maharaj to ensure that he does not leave the country.
The woman has told the police that she had been a disciple of Daati Maharaj for a decade but after she was raped by him, she returned to her home in Rajasthan.
Yesterday,
Yoga guru Ramdev said that self-styled godmen involved in illegal activities should be hanged to death for violating the limits of their work. "Whoever violates those limits should not only be sent to jail, but should be hanged till death. There should not be any compromise on this," Ramdev said.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)