Self-styled godman Ashu Maharaj arrested on charges of rape

After Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and Asaram Bapu like incidents shook the collective conscience of the nation, another self-styled godman Ashu Maharaj has been detained by Delhi police on charges of rape in late Thursday night. The Maharaj, also known as Ashu Bhai has been sent to three-day police custody for allegedly gang-raping a woman and her 16-year-old daughter at his Hauz Khas ashram in the national capital.

"Delhi: Self-styled baba Ashu Bhai sent to 3 days police custody for allegedly gang-raping a woman and her 16-year-old daughter at his ashram in Hauz Khas," the news agency ANI reported.

#Delhi: Self-styled baba Ashu Bhai sent to 3 days police custody for allegedly gang-raping a woman and her 16-year-old daughter at his ashram in Hauz Khas.

— ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2018

The Crime Branch of the Delhi police also arrested Samar Khan, the son of the self-styled godman for raping the woman.

Both Ashu and his son were questioned for a couple of hours in connection with the case, which is another incident of a godman in evil disguise was playing with the emotions of hundreds of his female disciples.

In her complaint to police, the woman had claimed that she was raped several times by the self-styled godman, his friends and his son between 2008 and 2013. The victim also alleged that the Maharaj even asked her to bring her minor daughter to him and then raped her.

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The woman told the police that in 2013 she had gone to wish him Diwali at the Rohini Ashram when he along with his associate sexually assaulted her. Ashu's manager Ravi Shankar gave her water laced with sedatives following which she lost consciousness. When she woke up she told the accused that she would narrate her ordeal to everyone but the accused told her that he would eliminate her entire family. 

Narrating her ordeal in her complaint to the police the woman further said the Maharaj "kept on threatening me and exploited me. Not just him his friends as well. In 2016, on one occasion his son Samar and his friend Saurabh who are builders by profession also assaulted me. I had informed the same to Guruji and he responded by saying 'If I am eating my son will also eat'".

"He called me to the Hauz Khas Ashram and I went there along with my daughter. He moved his hands on my daughter's cheeks, lips and felt her. I also went to speak to him later but he threw me out of the Ashram and left in the car," the woman added.

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The police have registered a case under section 376 D (gang-rape), 354 ( sexual harassment), 506 (criminal intimidation) and POCSO act in the Hauz Khas Police Station and transferred the probe to the Crime Branch Sunday.