JAIPUR: A fake godman, accused of raping four women, has been arrested by the Jaipur Police on Tuesday.
Three women from the same family had alleged that the 'Tapaswi Baba' raped them in his ashram after giving them 'prasad' mixed with cannabis.
The real name of the accused is Yogendra Mehta, according to Bhankarota SHO Mukesh Chaudhary.
"After an FIR was registered by the family on May 5, Mehta absconded.
According to the police, the main victim is a 45-year-old married woman. She got married in 1998 at Bindayaka Industrial Area in Jaipur. The 'kul-devta of her in-laws is Tapaswi Baba whose ashram is in Mukundpura. The family had been visiting Baba's ashram for 25 years.
Yogendra Mehta eventually took over the throne of the Tapaswi Baba Baba and opened the ashram in his name. Mehta's ashrams are located at Ratalya Sikar Road and Delhi Road apart from Mukundpura.
Soon, Mehta began to describe himself as the Tapaswi Baba. The victim's family too started visiting the ashram. It was later revealed that eight to 10 women stayed daily at the ashram at night. The woman alleged that one day Mehta invited her to a room and gave her 'prasad' which made her intoxicated. Mehta then forced himelf on the woman and later threatened her to not tell anyone about it. A woman, who lived at the ashram as a regular help to him, has also been accused of cooperating with Mehta in his activities.
It was also found that Mehta had raped the two other women of the family as well. When the men of the family called Mehta, he threatened to ruin them.
Another woman devotee of Mehta had also accused him of raping her.