THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala – A 23-year-old Indian woman has cut off the genitals of a Hindu religious teacher in the southern state of Kerala, claiming he raped her for years at her house.
The accused identified as Swami Ganeshananda, or Hari swami as he is also known as, is a member of the Panmana Ashram in Kollam.
The 54-year-old swami first allegedly assaulted the girl when she was 16. The girl has told the police that the swami would come to their home to meet her mother after her father’s death and whenever he got the opportunity, he would allegedly rape her.
Her mother had hoped the self-styled holy man would ease the family’s woes.
On Friday night, she grabbed a knife and attacked him when he allegedly tried to rape her, and then called the police herself, the NDTV reported on Saturday.
The accused was rushed to the Trivandrum Medical College. A team of experts conducted a plastic surgery on the ‘godman’, who is said to be out of danger now.
The hospital said in a statement: “A 54-year-old man from Kollam was admitted at 12.39am [19:09 GMT] to the hospital on Saturday. His penis had been cut (90%) and was hanging precariously. There was no way it could be stitched back.
The police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Arul B Krishna told The Times of India that the woman’s father had been bed-ridden for years.
He said the victim had recounted her abuse to her mother, who may now face charges for failing to report it.
The young woman herself is not expected to face a criminal case.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reacted to the incident and said that it was brave of the law student to take such a step. “It’s a courageous and strong act by the woman,” he said.
Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus, with protesters frequently calling for rapists to be hanged – the harshest sentence available for the crime.
