india

Updated: Sep 23, 2017 13:57 IST

Police in Rajasthan’s Alwar arrested on Saturday Falahari Maharaj, a 58-year-old self-styled godman who is accused of raping a 21-year-old law student after promising to make her a judge.

The arrest of the ‘godman’ comes three days after the case files reached Alwar from Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, where the law student resides. The godman is admitted in a private hospital since then.

“The maharaj has been arrested and a medical checkup is currently being done following which he will be presented in court,” additional superintendent of police (headquarters) Paras Jain told HT.

The godman commands a strong following across northern India and the delay in his arrest sparked speculation that police might be holding back due to political pressure.

Police said he allegedly raped the woman devotee on August 7 when she went to his ashram to offer her first stipend as a token of respect. The woman lodged an FIR and state police took up the case on September 11, after being motivated by the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for rape.

The father of the woman had said on Friday that more such cases would come up as the investigation progressed.

“There are more such cases which will come up now. There are devotees associated with the godman who couldn’t come forward earlier because of fear, they will come up… Soon, the reality of the man will be revealed,” he said.

Police said the self-styled godman, who also has an ashram in Bilaspur, allegedly threatened the woman to not disclose the incident to anyone, citing his influence.