Express News Service
JAIPUR: A self-styled godman in Jaipur has been accused of rape by four women devotees. The godman known as ‘Tapasvi Baba’ has an ashram on the outskirts of Jaipur and the alleged rape incidents happened there according to an FIR filed by the women in Bhankarota police station located on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway. A woman who lived at the Ashram as an assistant to him has also been accused of cooperating in the Baba’s activities.
The real name of the Baba is Yogendra Mehta according to Bhankarota Police Officer Mukesh Chaudhary who is conducting the investigation into the case.
According to the police, one of the devotees, a 45-year-old woman, said that her husband and his family used to go the Baba’s Ashram in Mukundpura even before she was married. Later, she too started going to the Baba’s ashram for the past many years. One night when she stayed at the Ashram, the Baba called her to his room and said she should serve him to her best capacity. The Baba allegedly claimed, “I am God. You serve me and surrender everything to the Guru.”
Later, the Baba gave her a shot claiming that it was a form of prasad. Soon after that, she claims she started feeling giddy as the shot was laced with some intoxicant. Then the Baba raped her.
When she went to the ashram after six months, the Baba called and raped her again. When the woman protested, the Baba allegedly threatened her to stay quiet claiming that he had powerful connections.
She then stayed silent but stopped going to the Baba’s Ashram though her family continued to worship him. A few days ago, however, the woman was forced to come out with the truth as her husband was asked by the Baba to bring his 20-year-old daughter to the Ashram. The woman then narrated her trauma to her husband in order to stop him from taking their daughter to the Baba.
On hearing her ordeal, two other women in the family also said the Baba had similarly raped them. In addition, another woman devotee of the Baba has also come out with her nightmare of being raped by the same Baba.
Meanwhile, Mukesh Chaudhary, the SHO of Bhankarota Police station, said, “We have registered an FIR under IPC sections of 376 and 384. Three of the four victims belong to one family. We are conducting a thorough probe on all aspects of the case which was registered on May 5.”
