CHENNAI: The fall of self-styled godman Premananda, who was presiding over the affairs of his sprawling ashram near Tiruchy with spiritual aplomb before his arrest and subsequent incarceration following a historic trial court verdict in 1997, began with a news report that appeared in the Indian Express in November 1994.
The story, quoting two women, Suresh Kumari and Latha, living inside the ashram, exposed the peccadilloes of Premananda.
The women were brought to Chennai by members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) and Suresh Kumari alleged that she was raped by the ‘swami’ and that other women were also subjected to sexual assault.
With more newspapers and periodicals following up the news report, it developed into a sensational story opening the flood gates for a steady flow of juicy details of the swami’s escapades, prompting the government for a thorough investigation into the happenings inside the ashram.
Police raided the ashram premises for days, even as the media camped outside it to report live the progress of the investigations and the findings.
It was then that the police found out that a man was also killed inside the ashram. Premananda and six others were arrested and charged with multiple rape and murder.
The verdict on the case, pronounced on August 20, 1997, was also a historic one in many ways.
One, awarding two life sentences to be served consecutively — not concurrently, as is the case normally — was some thing unheard of earlier. Then, the Principal Sessions Judge of Pudukottai district, A Banumathi, who heard the case, also stated that there should be no remission of the sentence or amnesty for the convicts.
Apart from all these, a fine of `66.40 lakh was levied on Premananda in the 442-page judgement, which stated that failure to pay the fine will entail Premanananda an additional stay of 32 years in jail.
Among the battery of defence lawyers, engaged by Premananda’s supporters, was senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, who was highly critical of the judgement.
Jethmalani also argued for Premananda when the case came up for hearing in the Supreme Court, which in its verdict in 2005 gave no respite to the godman, who had to languish in Cuddalore prison till recently when he was taken out for medical treatment.
Earlier, when the appeal was heard by the Madras High Court, Jethmalani could not appear for the case as he was then the Union Law Minister.
The High Court bench, on December 12, 2002, confirming the trial court’s verdict, said: “The proceedings are unique and have shown the vulnerability of the orphans, especially the girls, and the need for their protection. They have revealed to what extent persons professing to be spiritual gurus could screen their true profiles.”
The judges also praised the police for the investigation, the AIDWA and the press for the roles played by them in bringing out the case and the Sessions Judge Banumathi for the sentence.