Woman alleges rape; godman, two accomplices held

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) came to the aid of a 24-year-old woman allegedly raped in west Delhi's Janakpuri by a self-styled godman. DCW said that an FIR was registered against the accused after it intervened, with Delhi Police subsequently arresting three persons in this regard.

The arrested accused include 40-year-old Hari Narayan and two of his women colleagues, aged 25 and 38.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Monika Bharadwaj said that they arrested all the accused soon after registering of the case. "Investigation is going on to know whether he was spiritual or yoga guru," police said.

In a press statement, DCW said that the victim sent them a complaint via email, claiming that she was raped inside an ashram in Janakpuri by the fraud 'baba' and also molested by his woman accomplice.

She further stated that when she began teaching in a prominent Delhi school, she met a senior colleague from her college Sunita (name changed).

This woman introduced her and coerced her into joining a healing cult run by Hari Narayan in Janakpuri.

Sunita reportedly won the victim's confidence by narrating her experiences of how she was miraculously cured by the baba at Aadya Param Yog Peeth.

"One day, she agreed to visit the ashram with Sunita, who ensured that the survivor strictly ate only fruits, stating that this would get her body detoxed for the healing. They reached the ashram in the evening after finishing school, where they met a lady who introduced herself as the secretary of the baba," said the DCW in press statement.

The Commission stated that the fruits made the victim feel extremely weak, after which she expressed her desire to leave the ashram and asked the secretary to meet her another day.

However, Sunita and the secretary insisted she stay till the healing session is over, to which the victim relented.

At 8.30 pm, the secretary started performing some kriya on the survivor and made her take a bath and eat some food, allegedly laced with intoxicants.

The survivor said that at this point, the baba entered the room completely naked. Thereafter, Sunita started touching the victim inappropriately while the baba raped her.

Soon, the woman informed the Commission of her ordeal via email.