A 54-year-old swami in Kerala whose penis was cut off by a 22-year-old law student has now claimed that it was he himself "who chopped off his sexual organ" as it was "not useful" for him.

The sanyasi's comments are from the statement he gave Kerala Police after being charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act for repeatedly raping the now 22-year-old woman over a period of seven years.

According to the police, the swami is a resident of the Padmana Chattambi Swami Ashram, which he joined 15 years ago after deciding to become a spiritual guru.

WHO IS THE SANYASI TURNED ALLEGED RAPIST? According to the police, the 54-year-old swami used to run a tea stall in Kollenchery in Kerala's Ernakulam district before he decided to become a sanyasi. He last visited his native village six years ago, and his brother now runs the tea stall. The swami was pro-active and close to Hindu Aikyavedi, which promotes Hindu spirituality in Kerala, and was once regarded as a close associate BJP state president Kummanam Rajashekharan, and other office bearers of the Kerala BJP. The godman shot into prominence after leading a series of agitations demanding that protection of the birthplace of Chattambi Swami, who is regarded as spiritual guru of Sreenarayana Guru, a great social reformer in Kerala. Later, the sanyasi was at the forefront of a struggle started by a group of Hindu activists against Dr B Sandhya, Kerala Additional Director General of Police (South Zone), after she purchased a plot in Kannanmoola in Thiruvannthapuram city. The protesters claimed that the plot was the birthplace of Chattambi Swamikal and led a year-long demonstration in front of Sandhya's house. According to Kerala Police, it was during those protests that the Swami came into contact with the family of the girl who chopped off his penis. "The victim's mother invited him to her house for conducting prayers and poojas," a police officer told India Today. "The swami (then) convinced (the) victim's mother that he could cure her paralysed husband and (used this as a reason to) frequent her home. And he started sexually exploiting the (then) minor daughter," the police official added. In his statement to the police, the swami has claimed he "chopped off his sexual organ willfully which was not useful" for him.

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