Varanasi sadhu held for raping 40-yr-old flood victim

The Varanasi police arrested a sadhu on Thursday for allegedly raping a 40-year-old flood victim who had taken refuge at his ashram.

In her complaint to the police, the woman said Anil Kumar Tiwari alias Abhayanand (32) had assaulted her on the pretext of ‘spiritual treatment’ at the Yamuneshwar Ashram on Wednesday night. However, the mahant has denied the charge and alleged that the frame up was part of a conspiracy to grab the ashram’s  property.

The police said the victim lived in the adjoining Jaunpur district and had taken shelter at the ashram along with her 18-year-old son on August 28 after her house was inundated by a swollen Ganga. Three days later, her son left for New Delhi in search of livelihood.

On Wednesday night, the sadhu allegedly assaulted her. In her complaint she has stated that Abhayanand thrashed her badly and dragged her out of the ashram when she resisted his advances and threatened to go to the police.

SSP AK Mishra said, “During interrogation, Abhayanand has admitted to making physical contact with the woman but with her consent.” The accused has been sent to jail after initial medical examination of the woman who has been sent to women’s remand home, Mishra said. He said the sadhu had no previous criminal record.

However, Abhayanand said that the woman had been sent by another woman who wanted to grab the ashram property. He told reporters that recently the ashram had received expensive gifts from some rich devotees, and that some people wanted to grab them. “That is why I have been implicated in this false rape case,” he said.