Godman tries to kill self after disciple alleges rape & sexual assault
NATIONAL | April 20, 2019:
On Friday, a 45-year-old self-styled godman attempted suicide after a woman disciple accused him of rape and sexual assault at Nagaur-located gaushala (cow shelter) in Rajasthan. Presently, he is undergoing treatment and his condition remains critical.
The accused was referred to Jodhpur hospital for treatment, after he tried to hang himself inside his office at the Nagaur gaushala.
"His condition remains critical. He was rushed to Jodhpur Hospital in a deteriorating condition," said Nagaur Sadar SHO Sahadev Choudhary.
Kushal Giri, widely revered in Nagaur as 'Guru ji' for his work for stray and ill cows, was accused of rape by a 26-year-old girl who worked at his cow shelter.
The FIR was registered on Thursday night, in which the survivor alleged that on Wednesday late night, Kushal Giri entered her hostel room in the ashram-cum-gaushala and raped her.
The woman alleged that on Thursday morning when she confronted the "baba," the accused rebuked her and asked her to leave the building.
"The girl said that she worked at the cow shelter where she took care of the ailing cows, in one of the many wards. On Wednesday night, she went to her room in the hostel, when at 11.30pm, Kushal Giri knocked at her door," Choudhary said, adding that when the girl opened the door, the accused forcibly locked the door and raped the girl.
Kushal Giri later threatened the survivor that she will lose her job at the cow shelter if she ever informs anyone about the case. She spent the night inside the hostel and confronted the accused on Thursday morning.
In her statement to the police, she alleged that Kushal Giri rebuffed the rape allegations the next morning and asked her to leave the premises immediately.
On Thursday night, after her mother returned from work, the girl decided to file an FIR against the godman.
Nagaur police said that even before they could quiz the accused, he allegedly tried to hang himself and as a result, severely injured himself. He was taken to a Nagaur hospital, from where he was referred to Jodhpur, after doctors found no improvement in his condition.
Source: TOI
