Falahari Baba had been visiting the woman's home for some time, investigations so far have revealed.
Highlights
- He is charged with raping 21-year-old woman at his ashram last month
- Has a huge following among celebrities and politicians
- Woman, daughter of devotees, was visiting the ashram to donate money
Rajasthan's famed 'Falahari Baba', charged with raping a 21-year-old woman at his ashram in Alwar, has been arrested this afternoon after three days of investigation. Facing allegations of sexual assault, the self-styled Godman had checked himself into a private hospital in Alwar earlier this week saying he was suffering from high blood pressure.
The police today got a medical examination conducted on him at a government hospital in Alwar where his sugar and blood pressure were found to be normal. He has now been sent to judicial custody for 15 days.
"In the medical tests conducted on Falahari Baba, his ECG, Sugar and Blood Pressure have been found to be normal," said Paras Jain, Additional Superintendent of Police, Alwar.
Kaushlendra Prapannacharya Falahari Maharaj, 70, is dubbed "Falahari" because of his reported fruits-only diet. The Baba has been seen in photographs with top political leaders and celebrities.
The woman, whose parents have been followers of Falahari Baba for years, has alleged that she was assaulted at his lavish ashram in Rajasthan's Alwar on August 7. She was allegedly told that the Baba couldn't meet anyone during an "eclipse" and asked to stay the night. The woman has told the police that the Baba called her at night to his room and assaulted her.
Warned against telling anyone, the woman broke her silence when another high profile guru, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was facing rape charges in court. Ram Rahim is now serving a 20-year jail term for raping two followers.
Falahari Baba had been visiting the woman's home for some time, investigations so far have revealed.
The woman, a law intern, had visited the ashram to donate some money. It was apparently on the baba's recommendation that she secured an internship under a senior lawyer in Delhi, for which she received a stipend of Rs. 3,000.
"Her family told her to give it to the Baba. When she went to meet him he told her to wait and then raped and threatened her. The parents came to us after the woman told them everything and we registered a case," said Archana Jha, a police officer in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur.
The 'Godman' has devotees in India as well as abroad, the police say.