Vizag POCSO court rejects seer’s bail plea in sexual assault case

Visakhapatnam, July 24: A POCSO court here on Monday rejected the bail petition of godman Swami Poornananda, who was last month arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl at his ashram here for more than two years.

The court ruled that since there is strong evidence against the seer, he can’t be granted bail.

The accused was identified by the victim thrice in an identification parade held in the first week of July. Forensic report also established that two minors were sexually assaulted.

Police had arrested the 63-year-old godman on June 19 after a 15-year-old orphan girl lodged a complaint that the swami sexually assaulted her by confining her at his ashram.

The victim was also physically tortured for over two years at Swami Gnanananda Ashram which he runs at Venkojipalem.

The girl from Rajamahendravaram had lost her parents at an early age. Her relatives had sent her to the ashram meant for the aged and poor children. She alleged that the swami used to take her to his bedroom every night and rape her. For the last one year, the victim was chained in the bedroom. The victim managed to escape from the ashram with the help of a servant on June 13.

A woman took the girl to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), where she revealed how the swami sexually and physically assaulted her at the ashram. The swami, however, alleged that some people were trying to grab the ashram land and as part of the conspiracy allegations were made against him.

He was accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl at the ashram in 2012. He was arrested by the police but was later released on bail.