Kerala woman nearly severs godman’s penis; Shashi Tharoor says she should have rang police

The woman claimed that she was subjected to repeated sexual abuse by the accused, Gangesanantha Teerthapadar, who has links with an umbrella organisation of Sangh Parivar outfits. The 23-year-old law student attacked Teerthapadar with a knife as he was preparing to sexually abuse her at her home in Thiruvananthapuram.  She immediately rang the police, who rushed the godman to the hospital.  Teerthapadar told the police he had inflicted the injury upon himself, “as it (the organ) was of no use for him”.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the girl’s “courageous step”.  “It (the woman’s action) was a courageous step. No doubt about it. Since she has taken the action, what is left for us is to give support for her,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Arul R B Krishna said there was no particular provocation for the woman to act on Friday night — “She had taken the decision to chop off the genitals of the swami much earlier. It was executed yesterday.”

Police charged the swami with rape and under various sections of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as the exploitation had began when the victim was still a minor. On Saturday evening, police recorded the swami’s arrest. He will be produced before a court once he is discharged from hospital.