TW: Mention of sexual assault
A Visakhapatnam fast track court that deals with cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, on Monday, July 24, rejected the bail petition of Swami Poornananda (63) who was last month arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl at his ashram for more than two years. He is the head of Swami Gnanananda Ashram at Venkojipalem. The court ruled that since there is strong evidence against the seer, he can’t be granted bail.
The accused was identified by the victim thrice in an identification parade held in the first week of July. Forensic report also established that two minors were sexually assaulted. Police had arrested him on June 19 after a 15-year-old girl lodged a complaint that the swami sexually assaulted and tortured her by confining her at his ashram for over two years. The minor, who lost her parents a few years ago, said that she was admitted to the ashram by her aunt after she completed Class 5.
She alleged that the swami used to take her to his room and sexually assault her, and that she was chained in his room for the last one year. The victim managed to escape from the ashram on June 13, and was travelling to Vijayawada when she described the ordeal to a fellow female passenger, who helped her lodge a complaint.
The passenger took the girl to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), where she revealed how the swami sexually and physically assaulted her at the ashram. The swami, however, alleged that some people were trying to grab the ashram land and as part of the conspiracy allegations were made against him. He was accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl at the ashram in 2012. He was arrested by the police but was later released on bail.