Self-styled godwoman Radhe Maa leaves for the police station from her residence in Mumbai
Dressed in her trademark bridal red and with a trishul or trident in hand, Radhe Maa went into Mumbai's Kandivali police station for a questioning session that lasted nearly four-and-a-half hours. The 50-year-old self-proclaimed godwoman has been named in a dowry harassment case.
Even as the questioning was on, she got a two-week relief from arrest by the Bombay High Court. Sukhvinder Kaur, as Radhe Maa used to be known as, will have to present herself at the Kandivali police station every week, the court said.
A 32-year-old woman has alleged that she had been "mentally and physically tortured" by her husband's family at the instance of Radhe Maa.
Radhe Maa has denied all the allegations levelled at her and said she was being dragged into the matter only because the woman's in-laws are her "devotees."
For her followers, Radhe Maa's arrival at the police station at noon was a charged occasion. Hands held, their lips moving in silent prayer, red bands proclaiming Radhe Maa around their heads, nearly 20 people waited. Many seemed close to tears. Double the number of policemen was stationed outside to keep order.
Earlier this week, the police said the chances of Radhe Maa being arrested were slim as "no concrete evidence has been found against her in the dowry harassment case till now."
But Radhe Maa also faces allegations of cheating, obscenity and hurting religious sentiment.
A city lawyer, Falguni Brahmbhatt, has filed an obscenity case against Radhe Maa, accusing her of hugging and kissing her devotees. She alleged the police have not acted against Radhe Maa despite her repeated complaints.
A mother of three children, Radhe Maa is usually seen dressed in garish red and gold she wore today. Last week, she trended on Twitter for days after photographs of her in a mini-skirt went viral.