Nearly two weeks after a 23-year-old woman allegedly cut off the penis of a 54-year-old self-styled godman in Thiruvananthapuram, the latter claimed on Friday that the woman had attacked him while he was asleep.

The woman, a native of Kollam district, had alleged that she attacked Swami Gangeshananda when he tried to rape her on the night of May 19, at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram. The woman had later told police that the Swami had been abusing her since the age of 16.

On Friday, Gangeshananda contradicted the woman's version of the incident and told reporters that he had been attacked in his sleep.

"I was asleep when this happened. I saw her when I opened my eyes," Gangeshananda said, while he was being taken to the woman's house for collection of evidence.

He also alleged that one Ayyappadas, with whom the woman allegedly is in a relationship, must have helped her commit the act.

After the incident, the woman had alleged that Gangeshananda had been repeatedly abusing her for years, and that her mother was aware of it. The Swami used to visit their house to pray for her ailing father.

Last week, the woman's mother reportedly filed a complaint with the DGP, alleging that her daughter was in a relationship with a man, and the Swami had opposed it. This in turn had made her daughter angry, the mother reportedly claimed in her letter to the DGP.

Gangesananda was sent to police custody on Thursday, after undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College.