THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “She lied. She was never raped by Gangeshananda Theerthapada.” The startling allegation was made by the mother of the 23-year-old woman who nearly chopped off the godman’s genitals while resisting his rape attempt.
Read: Kerala girl chops off genitals of alleged rapist godman
The mother made the contrasting claim in a petition filed before state police chief T P Senkumar on Monday. She also filed a complaint with the State Women’s Commission. In the complaint, the victim’s mother alleged self-styled godman Gangeshananda aka Sreehari,54, had opposed the amorous relationship the victim had with her alleged boyfriend. This, apparently, prompted her daughter to act against the godman, she said.
“Gangeshananda did not rape her. She dashed off to a top police officer’s residence immediately after the incident. Later, the police officer forced us to file a complaint against Sreehari stating he had duped `40 lakh from us,” she said in the complaint. “Sreehari never misbehaved with us. he used to stay at our house whenever he was in Thiruvananthapuram,” she said.
The mother said on the day of the incident, the victim had spent hours with her boyfriend in the morning and entered Sreehari’s room only at night. “I had rushed to the room after hearing his scream. As I reached the room, I saw him lying in a pool of blood,” she said.
The mother also alleged her daughter had mental issues and had attempted suicide twice earlier by cutting her veins. However, the contradictory statements given by the victim’s mother have put the investigating team in the dock as the victim had earlier given a confidential statement before the court against Sreehari.
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With this revelation, the police will have to interrogate the victim again who is being kept at the Nirbhaya shelter home. Earlier, some social activists had filed a complaint before the police chief alleging the statement given by the victim was a lie and the whole story was fabricated. The police also earlier said the victim had refused to undergo a medical examination.
‘Didn’t receive any complaint’
DGP Senkumar said he had not received any complaint and it might have come to his office by post. “I have not received so far such complaints. But I don’t know whether the complaint had been sent through the post”, Senkumar said.
In her complaint, the victim's mother alleged that self-styled godman Gangeshanda aka Sreehari had opposed her daughter's relationship, which triggered the act. She also said her daughter was undergoing treatment for psychological issues.
What provoked the mother to make such a statement against her daughter nearly two weeks after the incident is not clear.
The victim, currently in Nirbhaya shelter home, had earlier issued a confidential statement before the court against Sreehari and will now have to be re-interrogated.