The Disha Mahila Police of NTR District Commissionerate and the Visakhapatnam Police, who are investigating the alleged sexual abuse of a minor girl in Gnanananda, Ramananda Sadhu Matam, are trying to connect the dots in the case.
The minor, who had been staying in the ashram located at Venkojipalem in Visakhapatnam for the last two years, managed to escape and lodged a complaint with the police in Vijayawada.
In the complaint to the police the girl had stated that she had escaped from the ashram at around 10 a.m. on June 13. She then walked up to the main road, boarded an autorickshaw and reached Visakhapatnam railway station. A sister-like woman who she referred as ‘Akka’, gave her ₹200 and helped her to come out of the ashram, she claimed.
She said that in the afternoon, she had boarded a train in which a woman befriended her, as she was travelling alone. The woman then took her to her home in Rajamahendravaram, where she stayed for a day.
In the complaint, she had further stated that on the next day, the woman took her to her sister’s home, located at Kankipadu, and there she had explained how Poornananda Swaraswathi Swamiji was allegedly abusing girls in the ashram.
It was then that she was brought to Kankipadu police station, who referred the case to Krishna District Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
Speaking to The Hindu, the girl said she had studied up to 5th class in East Godavari district. Later, her aunt (peddamma) admitted her in Gnanananda Ashramam two years ago.
“My duty was to feed cows and clean the sheds in the ashram. About 14 children are there in the ashram. During night hours, Swamiji used to take me to his room and sexually abuse me,” she alleged.
“Whenever I resisted, he would beat and chain me in his room. Swamiji abused me several times and there was nobody to rescue the inmates. Finally, I decided to come out of the clutches of the swamiji and escaped,” the victim said.
CWC Chairperson, K. Suvartha said the girl was handed over to Disha Mahila Police, who registered a case and sent the girl to the Government General Hospital, for medical examination.
Disha Mahila Police Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) V.V. Naidu said a ‘Zero FIR’ had been registered and the case was transferred to the Visakhapatnam Commissionerate.
Doctors who performed medical tests on the victim reportedly had opined that the minor girl was subjected to sexual abuse., sources in the police said.
“The girl in her complaint had alleged that Poornananda Swaraswathi Swamiji had given her some pills several times to prevent pregnancy,” CWC member Chandragiri Radha Kumari, who interacted with the girl, said.
In her complaint, the victim had also alleged that one more girl was sexually abused in the ashram, Ms. Suvartha said.
“We provided rehabilitation to the girl, and her condition is stable,” Mr. Naidu told The Hindu.
Investigation officers are trying to find out who (Akka) helped the girl to escape from the ashram, who met her in the train and took her to her home and the ‘aunt’, who provided shelter in Kankipadu and helped her to go to Kankipadu police station.
The girl was sent for pregnancy test and the same test would be done again. The Visakhapatnam police will record the statement of the victim soon, the police said.
