Ramachandrapura Math seer used houses of priests to rape singer: Chargesheet
BENGALURU: The CID police, who submitted the chargesheet against the seer of Ramachandrapura Math, Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swami, in connection with the rape case filed by Ram Katha singer Premalatha, have mentioned that the accused raped the woman in the houses of priests and devotees of the math, most of the time.
In the chargesheet submitted to the court on Saturday, the officials have mentioned that Premalatha was a devotee of the math as her ancestors were also devotees of the math. She was the lead singer of the math. “The accused wanted to have a physical relationship with the complainant and started meeting her privately on the pretext of calling her for meetings. In every such meeting, the accused sexually assaulted her,” the officials stated in the chargesheet.
“Whenever the complainant questioned the accused as to how he being a seer justified raping a woman, he purportedly told, ‘Sexual intercourse is not a sin and Rama wants you to surrender to me. If you won’t surrender to me, you will be an object of divine displeasure. Your family will be destroyed’. Further, he also made the woman to stand before the idol of Rama and made her swear on God that she would not reveal about the rape to anyone, and the God-fearing complainant did not reveal the matter to anyone,” it stated.
As per the chargesheet, the complainant was first raped in Jodhpur in October 2011. Later, she was raped in Mumbai, Delhi, Hrishikesh, Gokarna, Hosanagar in Shivamogga, Mysuru, Kumta, Sirsi, Siddapura, Mangaluru, Sigandhur, Horanadu, Udupi and Mudhol in Bagalkot. The last time the accused raped the complainant is on June 27, 2014, in the Girinagar math.
Though the Ram Katha organisers had arranged accommodation separately for the seer and other artistes, the accused made the complainant to stay in his room on the pretext of Ekantha Seva. As the accused allegedly raped her several times in a single day on many occasions, the exact number of times she was raped is not mentioned.
The accused, most of the times, raped the complainant in the houses of priests and other devotees where he took her for Ram Kathas. The CID officials have recorded the statements of 45 priests and other devotees.
CID sends victim’s clothes to FSL in second rape case
The CID police, who have started the investigation into the second rape case filed against the seer, have sent the victim’s clothes to the Forensic Science Laboratory. “The complainant, who alleged that she was raped in August 2012 during Chaturmasya celebration, had given the clothes she was wearing when the alleged rape took place. They have been sent to FSL for analysis,” a senior official said.
“The complainant alleged that the supporters of the seer kidnapped her and took her to the math’s Kekkaru branch on September 13, 2014. The seer, who was reportedly at the branch, allegedly threatened her that she should not be a witness against him in the Premalatha case. Also, he allegedly threatened her not to reveal to the police that he raped her. The accused reportedly told her that he would finish her and her father if she revealed anything to the police against him,” the officer said.
She has alleged that she was raped for the first time in Hosanagar in 2006, when she was a ninth standard student. She was forcefully married to Manjunath Hebbar, an employee of the math, on May 27, 2009. “She has revealed that she was raped the second time in August 2012 when she had gone to the Girinagar math to complain to the seer that she was married off to Hebbar against her wishes. In the second case, there are seven accused, including the complainant’s husband. Spot mahajar has been conducted in Hosanagar math and we will conduct the mahajar in the Girinagar math soon,” the officer said.
