Ashram head rapes minor girl for two years in Bhilwara, arrested in Rajasthan:

Bhilwara: In another incident of sexual assault against minors, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped repeatedly by the head of an ashram in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district for the past two years. The girl was reportedly living and working in the ashram with her mother.

The complaint was lodged by the mother-daughter duo on  December 18 last year at the Mandal Police Station. The accused has been identified as Mahant Suraj Das. According to the complaint, Das raped the girl since 2020. The accused was arrested on Wednesday and was sent to judicial custody.

According to a report published in media, the woman visited the Hanuman temple at Dang in Bhilwara in 2020 before the lockdown. However, they could not leave as the lockdown



was imposed due to COVID-19 and then took shelter at the ashram. The mother-daughter lived in the ashram and used to clean its premises.

One day, the accused reportedly took the girl to his room and allegedy raped her. After that, he continuously raped the girl for two years. During the initial investigation, it was found out the 52-year-old accused also took the girl to another ashram in Maharashtra.

"When the mother of the rape survivor started protesting the rape and sexual abuse, she was allegedly beaten up. The woman has also said in the complaint that the accused Mahant made an acid attack on her," Bhilwara additional SP Chanchal Mishra said as quoted by media. The police have launched a detailed investigation into the matter.