Fatehpur Beri (Rajasthan): Daati Maharaj, a self-styled preacher has been booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly raping and having unnatural sex with an inmate of his ashram, according to reports.
The complainant is a 25-year-old woman who is also his former disciple. She filed her complaint with Fatehpur Beri Police Station in south Delhi on June 7. She said that she was his disciple for almost a decade, but after being raped by him and two more of his disciples, she left for her native place in Rajasthan.
She also said that the other female disciple would force her into his room and if she refused, she was told that the rest of the disciples also slept with him.
On June 22, the police questioned Daati Maharaj also known as Daati Madanlal regarding the allegations that the complainant had raised and responded that he was being framed by her. Later a police team went with the woman to the ashram to gather evidence in Pali, Rajasthan but failed to find anything.
The police then issued a lookout circular against him to ensure that he does not leave the country.
This case was handed over to the CBI by a Delhi High Court bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao stating that the manner in which the Delhi police was handling the case with their probes was shady. Shani Dham, the name of his ashram, is regularly visited by a major number of politicians and senior officers of the government. Hence the court ruled that a fair investigation could not be assured by the Crime Branch.
