New Delhi: A seer in Andhra Pradesh was on Monday night arrested for allegedly raping an orphaned 15-year-old girl multiple times over several months in his ashram. Purnananda Saraswati, the administrator of the Gnanananda Ashram in Visakhapatnam’s Venkoji, was arrested based on a complaint filed by the teen in Vijayawada.
According to the police, the complaint alleged that Purnananda Saraswati had tortured and sexually assaulted her repeatedly. The girl, who managed to escape from the ashram, reached Vijayawada and lodged a complaint, the police said. The girl’s parents died when she was young and her maternal grandmother left her at the ashram two years ago, they added, India Today reported.
“The police have taken up the investigation and Poornanda Saraswati has been taken into custody and interrogation is on,” police officer Vivekananda was quoted as saying.
According to the senior police officer, Purnananda Saraswati has been accused of raping a minor girl for the past several months inside the ashram, taking advantage of her situation since she has no parents or guardians. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. He will be sent to judicial remand soon.
