Kolkata: A woman from West Bengal has leveled serious allegations of sexual assault against Swami Pradiptananda, a Padma Shri recipient and monk from Bharat Sevashram Sangha, widely known as Kartik Maharaj. She claims the monk raped her multiple times starting in 2013, under the false promise of offering her a job at one of the ashram’s schools.
The monk, who is linked with the Beldanga unit of the Sangha in Murshidabad district, has denied all accusations, calling them a conspiracy to damage his reputation.
According to the woman’s complaint at Nabagram police station, the monk met her in December 2012, assuring her a job at Chanak Adivasi Abasik Balika Vidyalaya. She was given accommodation at the school’s hostel in January 2013, but soon faced alleged sexual abuse. She stated that Maharaj would regularly take her to a room on the fifth floor and assault her.
She further alleged that after getting pregnant in 2013, the monk, with help from the school staff, forced her to undergo an abortion at a Berhampore clinic, despite her opposition.
The woman also claimed that she was abused across several ashram branches, while being constantly misled with job assurances. On June 13, she was reportedly threatened and pushed from a vehicle by two men after trying to contact the monk again.
Maharaj responded by saying: “This is a targeted attempt to ruin my reputation. We treat all women in the ashram with the utmost respect.”
The incident has added fuel to the ongoing outrage over recent sexual violence cases in West Bengal, including the law college rape case and the RG Kar Medical College tragedy from last year.