23 hours Ago
Surat: A special court on Friday convicted a 49-year-old Jain monk, Shantisagarji Maharaj (Giriraj), for raping a 19-year-old Vadodara college girl in 2017. The court is likely to pronounce the quantum of punishment on April 5. According to case details, the girl came with her parents and brother to the temple in Nanpura on Oct 1.
The monk called her parents to the first floor of the temple and took them into a room. He made them sit on the floor and virtually made a circle around them using a sandalwood stick. He instructed them not to step out of the circle until he came back and gave them certain mantras to chant.
After that, he isolated the girl's brother on the lower floor. He then took the victim to another room and asked her desire. She told him that she wanted happiness and peace for her parents and family.
The monk raped her and threatened her, saying something bad would happen to her parents if she revealed anything. After reaching Vadodara, she developed pain and was taken to a doctor who advised them to file a complaint, looking at her injuries. They first went to the Vadodara police, who advised the family to approach Surat cops, and the FIR was filed at Athwalines police on Oct 13.
The monk was arrested on Oct 14. Additional public prosecutor Rajesh Dobariya told TOI: "Our main argument was that the girl and her parents revered the monk as a ‘guru.' But he sexually exploited the girl, which is a heinous crime that should be punished strictly.
He approached the Gujarat High Court and Supreme Court for bail but failed. The court considered the victim's statement under CrPC section 164, statements of family members, medical and circumstantial evidence, to convict Shantisagarji." The prosecution produced 51 witnesses and submitted 60 documentary evidences, including CCTV footage.
Victim's father died of Covid-19 Surat: The family was originally from Madhya Pradesh and residing in Vadodara at the time of the incident. When the case was pending for the verdict, the girl's father died in 2021 due to Covid. He was also one of the witnesses as he was present in same premises where the crime was committed.
