The complainant has provided a video to the police, which was also circulated on social media, allegedly showing an elderly man assaulting her within the ashram premises
NEW DELHI — A national-level Taekwondo player has alleged that she was fed a spiced laddoo (sweet) in an ashram in the Uttar Pradesh city of Kanpur and then was gang-raped by a mahant (head priest), other priests and a local man.
The incident occurred in January, but a complaint in this regard was filed only on Sunday. The 30-year-old woman in question claims the inordinate delay in filing the complaint was due to fear of reprisal because of the powerful connections the accused enjoy, media reports said on Sunday.
Interestingly, the ashram is just a stone’s throw away from a police station.
The victim, a resident of Kanpur’s Govind Nagar, claims she met Govind Mahto while looking for a spot to sell used clothes. Mahto allegedly took her to the ashram, promising to introduce her to influential people who could help her find a location.
The woman alleged that after being offered the laddoo at the ashram, she lost consciousness and was subsequently gang-raped by Govind Mahto, the ashram’s mahant, and several others, including four named individuals who are temple priests.
A video of the alleged assault, which the alleged victim submitted to the police, has also gone viral on social media. The video reportedly shows an elderly man assaulting her inside the ashram.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Mahesh Kumar said, “The woman approached the DCP with her complaint, which was handed over to me for investigation. We have visited the ashram room shown in the video. We are checking all details and will take action.”
In response, the priests have claimed they were not present in the ashram at that time. “We were in Prayagraj attending the Kumbh,” they said, and have provided photos and videos as evidence to support their alibi, which police say are also under scrutiny.
