10-year imprisonment to monk for teen’s rape in 2017

“The deposition of the victim, her brother and her mother and their statements recorded under CrPC 164 clearly states that the accused had committed rape on her and threatened her. The statements given by the Shantisagarji Maharaj before the Chief Medical Officer at New civil hospital, that he had committed rape on the victim girl. The prosecution had on statements of witnesses and evidence have established that Shantisagarji Maharaj had committed rape on the victim girl,” the order stated.

As per the case details, the victim, then a second-year college student, had arrived in Surat from Vadodara on October 1, 2017, with her parents and elder brother to meet the Digambara-sect priest at Mahavir Digambara Jain temple in Nanpura’s Timaliyawad, in Surat. The priest allegedly took them to the first floor. They were asked to close their eyes and chant some mantras. The victim’s brother was taken to another room. The monk allegedly told them to continue until he asked them to stop.

As per the FIR lodged with Athwalines police station on October 13, 2017, “After making her parents and brother busy with chanting mantras, he (accused) took her to another room where he raped her and later threatened her that if she disclosed it to anybody, her parents would die. The victim and her family left Surat on the following day, and she did not tell anyone about the incident. The victim complained about abdominal pain on October 3 and was taken to a gynaecologist, where the family came to know about the rape. The victim then told the entire story to her parents.” The FIR also mentioned that the family refrained from making the matter public since the accused was a monk. The accused allegedly tried to contact the woman again on her mobile phone, but she did not respond.

The victim, in her complaint, said she was registering it against the accused to make sure that no other girl or woman goes through what she had to and also to get him punished.

Athwalines police, who also carried out a medical examination of the woman, registered an offence under IPC Sections 376 (1) (rape) and 376(2)(f) (rape committed by a relative, guardian, teacher or someone in a position of trust or authority towards the woman) against the priest.

The police arrested the monk on October 14, and carried out his medical examination at New Civil Hospital.

Subsequently, the police submitted a chargesheet to Surat district court on January 9, 2018. They had recorded statements of 51 witnesses and submitted 62 documentary evidence, including medical certificates of the accused and victim, and CCTV footage. The mobile phone of the accused that had several obscene photos and videos on it was also submitted. Charges were framed on February 11 that year.

The accused, lodged in Surat Central Jail for seven-and-a-half years since his arrest, had been denied bail earlier. He had served as a religious priest for 27 years before the complaint was filed against him.

The victim and her family, meanwhile, were not present in the court on both Friday and Saturday. Her father had died during the covid-19 pandemic, in 2021.