Rewa(Madhya Pradesh): In a horrific incident, a religious leader named Sitaram Maharaj and along with three others, raped a minor girl in Rewa, on the pretext of helping her to pass exams. Civil Line police of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh arrested one accused named Vinay Pandey in connection with the case on Wednesday.
According to Civil Line police station in-charge, ASP Shivkumar Verma, "a minor girl was lured by miscreants with an offer to help her pass exams. Believing their words, she went along with one miscreant named Vinod Pandey who was later joined by his aides. They first asked her to come to Sainik School and then took her to the circuit house. Trusting his words, she went there.
"Vinod Pandey, religious leader Sitaram Maharaj, and two others were present in the circuit house. The accused first drank alcohol themselves and then forcibly made the teenager drink alcohol. After that, the three accused went out of the room and Sitaram raped the girl. Four accused are involved in the incident out of which one accused is arrested," Verma added. The accused religious leader and two other accused are now absconding. The victim somehow escaped from the Sitaram's prey and reached the police station and filed a complaint.
The police investigation is underway to nab the other accused. Earlier too many crimes are already registered against Sitaram. The accused Vinod Pandey, who has been arrested, has also been involved in several crimes, added police.
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Congress demanded a CID investigation and the hanging of the four accused. Mahila Congress State Vice President Kavita Pandey called the incident extremely shameful. She said that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan should come to Rewa and demand justice for the minor victim. CID investigation should be conducted in the case and the accused should be given capital punishment.
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Katha was to be organized in Rewa from April 1 to 10 at Samdiya Gold Mall. In this, Sitaram Maharaj, grandson of Vedanti Maharaj, was supposed to preach his sermons. The religious leader has connections with big personalities in Rewa. Amongst these big names Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Girish Gautam, Commissioner Anil Suchari, and SP Navneet Bhasin are also included. After the rape incident, photos of big celebrities with Sitaram are also becoming viral on social media.
