CBI books Daati Maharaj, three others for alleged rape and unnatural sex

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday registered a case against self-styled godman Daati Maharaj and three others for allegedly raping and having an unnatural sex with an inmate of his ashram. The CBI had taken over probe in the case on the instructions of the Delhi High Court.

A woman had filed a complaint at Fatehpur Beri Police Station in South Delhi, alleging that Daati Maharaj, his three brothers and a woman were involved in a rape and unnatural sex case. Following the complaint, the police had quizzed Daati Maharaj, who was charged with rape of a disciple at his ashrams in Delhi and Rajasthan.

Raising doubts over the police investigation, a bench of the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao had allowed the complainant woman's plea to transfer the matter to the CBI. The high court, while transferring the case to the CBI, had said the manner in which police had carried out the probe "casts a shadow on the investigation".

On October 22, a bench of the Supreme Court  Justices N V Ramana and M M Shantangoudar  asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Daati Maharaj to move the high court which had ordered CBI probe into the sexual assault case against him.

Rohatgi said that the petitioner before the high court on whose plea the CBI probe was ordered had concealed the information that a criminal writ filed by the same set of lawyers was dismissed by the high court, and even a petition was withdrawn from the Supreme Court.

(With PTI inputs)