Daati Maharaj Rape Case: Delhi Police Crime Branch Files Chargesheet Under IPC Sections 376, 377

The incident surfaced after a case was registered by the victim at the Fatehpur Beri police station.

New Delhi: A chargesheet has been filed against self-styled godman Daati Maharaj on Monday in the alleged rape case. The charges were filed under IPC sections 376, 377 at national capital’s Saket court, news agency ANI reported. Notably, the charges have been filed nearly three months after an FIR was registered against the godman on June 11.

Last week, the self-styled godman was questioned by the Crime Branch. The godman came to the Crime Branch office in Chanakyapuri and was questioned for close to two hours, police had said. In June, a Delhi Police team, accompanied by the rape victim had visited Maharaj’s ashram in Pali, Rajasthan to gather evidence, but they failed to find him at the ashram.

Rape case registered against self-styled godman Daati Maharaj: Delhi Police Crime Branch has filed charge-sheet in the case under sections 376, 377 of IPC at Saket Court. (file pic) #Delhi pic.twitter.com/BIcc4ePYmW

— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2018

The incident surfaced after the 25-year-old woman, a former disciple registered a case against the godman at the Fatehpur Beri police station on June 7. An FIR was filed against the accused on June 11. The woman who had been a disciple of the godman for over a decade informed the police that she returned home to Rajasthan after the sexual assault.

The woman’s advocate Pradeep Tiwari had urged the court to arrest the accused immediately. Supporting the victim’s rights, an NGO had demanded a CBI probe into the case. The NGO had filed a petition alleging that the Delhi Police seemed to be “biased and unfair” in carrying out the investigation. The NGO stated that any further delay in the arrest of the accused will only lead to the destruction of evidence. However, the high court dismissed the NGO’s appeal stating that the NGO has no locus standi in the case. The High Court also advised the NGO to file a fresh plea supporting the victim’s affidavit.

(With Agency inputs)