JAIPUR: A case of sexual assault was registered on Wednesday against a Sadhvi (Female Hindu monk) running an ashram (shelter) for women in Kanota, Jaipur district.
The complaint, filed by a resident of the ashram on September 29, accused Sadhvi Samdarshi of sexual assault under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In her complaint, the victim who is a mother to a 5-year-old and has been living at the ashram for two months said she was sleeping in the Sadhvi’s room because she was recovering from an operation. At the time, the victim said, the Sadhvi tried to grope and assault her.
The residents of the ashram, situated in the Jamdoli area, are tribal girls from Assam and Tripura and study in a school in the city, said police officers investigating the matter. They are aged between 6 and 16, said the officers.
The victim, in her complaint, said that after the incident, she informed the other residents about the alleged assault and then filed a complaint with the Jamdoli police station.
“Currently we have registered the case of sexual assault in the 354 section of the IPC... We are investigating the details and will be able to tell more after interacting with the victim, " said Mansavi Choudhary, ACP Kanota.
The Sadhvi has been absconding since the complaint was filed.
Following the complaint, the police then raided the ashram where they found 20 residents. “Police informed the district CWC ( child welfare committee ) who questioned the other 20 girls staying in the place but no such complaint came from them,” she added.
On Tuesday evening, the CWC asked the parents of the residents to take their wards home.