Former president of Ramachandrapura Math committee, his wife were arrested
Swami Ragheshwara Bharati
Bengaluru: After the self-styled godman Nithyananda, it is the turn of Swami Ragheshwara Bharati of Ramachandrapura Math to be in the centre of a controversy. Former president of the math administrative committee Diwakar Shastri and his wife Premalatha Diwakar, a singer, were arrested from Bengaluru by the Honnavar police on Tuesday. They were produced before a court in Honnavar on Wednesday. Diwakar was sent to one-day judicial custody, while his wife to a women care centre.
On Wednesday, the couple’s daughter lodged a sexual assault complaint against the Swami. She has alleged in her complaint, which was filed before the Banashankari police, that swami and his disciples had sexually assaulted her mother. “Before my mother could approach the police and file a complaint, the seer has filed a complaint in Honnavar, resulting in the arrest of my parents,” she stated in her complaint. She also alleged that she was getting calls from unknown people, who were threatening to sexually assault her and her sister. She has sought police protection.
The Honnavar police were acting on a complaint filed by Swami’s security in-charge Chandrashekhar on August 17. The police have booked the couple under Sections 384, 389, 34 of the IPC and 66A of the IT Act. The swami is on his “Chaturmasa Vrita” at Kekkar Math near Honnavar.Mr Chandrashekar told Deccan Chronicle: “I received a call from a landline (later it was found to be a coin box phone) on August 17 at 3.43 pm. The man introduced himself as Diwakar Shastri. He wanted to speak to Swamiji, but I told him it was not possible as the Swamiji was in a programme.
Shastri then went on to issue a threat and demanded Rs3 crore. He said that the swami had to quit the math, otherwise a sexual assault cases would be filed against him.” He said, “I was security in-charge for the Swamiji. I immediately rushed to the Honnavar police station and lodged a complaint.”Sources in the math said that Diwakar Shastri served as the working president of the Math administrative committee for three years till about a year ago.
He quit when the committee was reorganised.It is also said that Swami had given opportunities to Premalatha to sing during Ramakathas as the couple were disciples of the math. “But she was annoyed after Swami took other singers to similar programmes. Her husband too was unhappy as he lost his post,” they said.“On July 12, Gajanan Sharma, who wrote songs for Ramakathas, also got a threat call. Though he filed a case at CK Achchukattu police station, he did not know who the caller was. A few days ago, one of our singers in Sullia in Dakshina Kannada too received a threat call. In both instances, the caller asked them not to participate in the math-organised Ramakathas,” they said.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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