Thiruvananthapuram: A godman has been deprived of his manhood by a 23-year-old law student who slashed his vital organ when he tried to rape her at Kannamoola, near here, on Friday night. He had been abusing her since her school days, it is said.The police said the woman used a knife to cut off the genitals of Swami Gangeshananda Theerthapada alias Hari, 54, of Kollam district when he sexually attacked her around 11.30 pm.
A police team, which reached the spot after receiving a call from the girl, admitted the swami to the Government Medical College Hospital where he underwent an emergency surgery as he had suffered 90 per cent cut on his vital organ. Hospital sources said he was stable now. “ The swami was booked for rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The police took the statement of the girl, but no case was registered against her, said inspector-general (Thiruvananthapuram range) Manoj Abraham.
The police said the family of the girl had been associated with the godman eight years ago when he started offering special pujas for the recovery of her paralysed and bed-ridden father, an ex-service man. While the swami was reported to be linked to the Panmana ashramam at Chavara, Kollam, the ashramam in a statement said that he had dissociated with it 15 years ago and entered business.
The godman first claimed he injured himself. However, he later retracted it and gave a statement that the woman had attacked him. Ms Prameela Devi, member of the Kerala State Women’s Commission, said that the girl will be provided all legal help.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the woman’s act as “brave” and “courageous”. “It was a courageous step, no doubt about it,” he told reporters here and promised all support to the girl from the government. State Women’s Commission member Prameela Devi expressed shock over the incident and said the girl was forced to take the extreme step after suffering years of harassment, pain and humiliation.
