THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The crime branch team probing into castration of a 'godman' here has taken into custody his former aide Ayyappadas. According to crime branch sources, Ayyappadas was held for recording his statement and was let off afterwards. The woman involved in the case had earlier alleged in an audio conversation with the godman's lawyer that Ayyappadas with whom she had an affair had instigated her to act against the swami.
The initial investigation by the police found that he was at Kottarakara while the woman attacked the godman on May 19 night. He was at her house till evening, and her brother dropped him at a bus stop. Though he filed a habeas corpus petition in the High Court seeking a directive to produce her, he later withdrew it.
The initial police version of the incident was that the woman had cut his genitals as he tried to rape her. She also reportedly stated to the police that the godman had been sexually abusing her even when she was a minor. The probe was handed over to crime branch after she came up with contradicting versions.
