'Probe against 'godman' will reach logical conclusion'

The Delhi Police on Monday told a city court that its probe into the allegation of rape against self-styled godman Daati Maharaj was underway and efforts were being made to take the case to its “logical conclusion”.

In its three-page status report submitted before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Anurag Dass, the crime branch of the Delhi Police said the allegations made by a woman are based on two-year-old incidents.

“In the present case, allegations are more than two years old which are being verified. All-out efforts are being made to collect corroborating evidence to prove the allegations.

“A detailed and thorough probe is being done to establish the veracity of allegations and the alibi taken by the accused persons. Sincere efforts are being made to conclude the investigation and take it to its logical solution at the earliest,” the police said in its report.

The police have also informed the court regarding recovery of CCTV footage and the various statements recorded so far.

The report was submitted in pursuance of the court's direction. The magisterial court has now transferred the matter to a court of the chief metropolitan magistrate and the matter will be heard on Tuesday.

The police also informed the court that it has extensively interrogated the accused on June 19 and he denied all allegations levelled against him.

A complaint was lodged against Daati Maharaj on June 7 and an FIR was registered on June 11.

The police had again questioned Daati Maharaj, accused of raping a disciple in his ashrams in Delhi and Rajasthan, for over eight hours on June 22.

However, he has claimed that he is being framed in the case.

His younger brother was also named by the woman in her complaint to the police.

A Delhi Police team, accompanied by the woman, had later visited the self-styled godman's ashram in Pali, Rajasthan, to gather evidence, but they failed to find him there.

The woman had filed the complaint against Daati Maharaj, his three brothers and a woman at the Fatehpur Beri police station in south Delhi. The case was later transferred to the crime branch.

The woman alleged that she was sexually abused at Daati Maharaj's ashrams in Delhi and Rajasthan. The Delhi Commission for Women had recently demanded the arrest of the self-styled godman.

The woman told the police that she had been a disciple of Daati Maharaj for a decade but after she was raped by him, she returned to her home in Rajasthan.

The Delhi Police had earlier issued a lookout circular against him to ensure that he did not leave the country.