The pontiff of Vidya Chowdeshwari Peeth in Kunigal Taluk was arrested on Thursday for allegedly raping a minor girl for over seven years. His aide was also arrested for making explicit videos of the priest and blackmailing him.
Charges have been filed against Balmanjunath Mahaswamiji of Vidya Chowdeshwari Peeth under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a complaint lodged by a 20-year-old woman.
The complaint filed by the victim, who went to his ashram at the age of 15, stated that the pontiff sexually assaulted her on several occasions since 2017 even when she was a minor.
The woman first visited the Mutt along with her father when she was 15 as they were trying to find a cure for some health issues. For this purpose, the pontiff performed an “Ashtamangala prasnam” and sexually assaulted her under the pretext of helping her.
Later, he also forced her to attend his video calls wherein he asked her to remove her clothes and “please” him, the complaint alleged, the victim alleged.
Based on a complaint, the police registered a case under sections 376 (rape), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and other relevant sections of the Protection of Children from the Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act as well as IT Act.
Notably, the priest also filed a complaint with Tumakuru cyber police alleging that his assistant and five others secretly took explicit videos of him and have been trying to extort money from him by blackmailing him over the videos, HT reported.
Based on the complaint, the police booked the six people for extortion and blackmailing, besides sections of the IT Act.
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