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Complaint lodged against MP ‘godman’ for ‘sodomising’ devotee a decade ago

The victim said he has been encouraged to lodge the complaint emboldened by the recent conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim for raping two of his devotees

Updated on: Sep 25, 2017, 11:27:18 IST
Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By
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Emboldened by the recent conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim for raping two of his devotees, a 29-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh lodged a police complaint against a self-styled godman for allegedly sodomising him a decade ago.

HT Photo for representational purpose only
HT Photo for representational purpose only

In his complaint registered on Sunday, the victim said he used to work with the Anand Trust at Ishagarh in Ashok Nagar district in 2007 when Gyandayal Anand alias Chakki waale Baba committed the crime in an inebriated condition.

An FIR has been registered against the so-called religious man under section 377 of the IPC that criminalises carnal inter­course against the order of nature, Ashok Nagar superintendent of police Santosh Singh Gour said.

“ The trust administration told me that they had asked the Baba to leave the trust premises after the incident came to their notice. Now, they don’t know his whereabouts. Police have started an investigation and are trying to locate him,” the police officer added.

The victim said in the past one decade, he faced intimidation, but the conviction of Ram Rahim encouraged him to lodge a criminal complaint against Gyandayal Anand.

“This baba also made an obscene video of the act and used it as a threat to further sexually harass me. The ordeal continued for a few more months,” he said.

“When I lodged a complaint with the trust administration, they threatened me of dire consequences if I went to police,” said the victim.

The victim in his complaint also accused two other “godmen” of threatening him of dire consequences.

The complaint is the latest in the growing number of cases of sexual assault and other heinous crimes being filed against self-styled religious leaders in the country.

A CBI court last month convicted the Dera chief for raping two women 15 years ago.

The rape case was brought against Ram Rahim after an anonymous letter was sent to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 accusing the ‘godman’ of repeatedly raping the sender and several other women.

  • Shruti Tomar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shruti Tomar

    I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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