Swami Ganeshananda Theerthapadam has been arrested on charges of raping a law student for eight years.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala godman, who was castrated by a 23-year-old law student for allegedly raping her for several years, told the police that the woman chopped off his genitals while he was asleep to avenge some financial losses.
Swami Ganeshananda Theerthapadam was arrested on the charges of raping the law student at her home for eight years and is in police custody till 3pm on Saturday. The woman said he first raped her when she was 16 years old.
Police took him to the crime spot, the woman’s house, on Friday, where the 54-year-old self-styled godman told mediapersons that he had some financial dealings with the woman’s family that went awry.
Sources in the police department said the swami during interrogation said that her family had invested a considerable amount in a restaurant business with him. While the business started off well, it started taking losses gradually and collapsed after that, he said. The swami claimed that this led to strained relations.
Police said that he completely denied all rape charges and dodged all questions of sexual abuse. He kept repeating his story of financial dealings. He also claimed that the woman had the help of a man named Aiyappadas.
The swami will be taken back to court on Saturday afternoon as he is still under treatment for injuries caused by the castration. The woman had said that she took the extreme step and did not approach authorities because she thought Gangeshananda would get bail and attack other women. She wanted to make sure he could not target anyone in future.
The accused was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College where an emergency surgery was performed. Hospital officials, however, said that 90% of his penis was cut off and was not in a position to be re-attached.
The accused had earlier said in his statement that he had mutilated himself as he had no use for genitals. He has been booked under Section 376 (Rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO).