National News

Andhra Pradesh: Ashram ‘Godman’ Raped Minor Girl for 2 Years, Arrested by Vizag Police

According to authorities, a 63-year-old self-styled godman was detained on Tuesday for reportedly regularly raping a 15-year-old girl for two years while keeping her chained in his bedroom at an ashram in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Sentinel Digital Desk

AMARAVATI: A disturbing occurrence led to the arrest of an ashram swami who was suspected of torturing and sexually assaulting a young girl living at the ashram orphanage by Visakhapatnam City Police.

At the Swami Gnanananda Ashram in Venkojipalem, the accused, Swami Poornananda (64), held the post of director. The ashram included an orphanage and a nursing home in addition to being a place of spiritual solace.

It's unsettling to note that the swami has previously been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl, leading to his detention in 2011.

According to the ACP, Poornananda was detained on Monday night as a result of a Vijayawada victim's report. He said the youngster had claimed in her complaint that the accused had tortured and repeatedly raped her for the previous two years while locked up in a room.

The girl, who was from Rajamahendravaram, reportedly lost her parents when she was a little child, according to the police. After she finished her fifth grade, her relatives placed her at the Gnanananda Ashram's orphanage in Visakhapatnam two years ago.

On June 13, the young person bravely tried to depart the ashram with the aid of a housekeeper who worked there. She spoke with a sympathetic passenger as they boarded the Tirumala Express about her horrible experiences. However, the organisers of the hostel in Kankipadu, Krishna district, refused to accept the girl without a letter from the police station when the woman attempted to get the girl's admittance.

According to Deputy Police Chief Ch Vivekananda of the Disha Police Station, the victim underwent medical testing in Vijayawada to gather evidence against the accused.

The community is shocked by Swami Poornananda's arrest on rape charges (in accordance with Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and pertinent provisions of the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act).

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