Andhra Pradesh seer raped orphan teen in ashram for months, arrested

Mangalore Today News Network

Visakhapatnam, June 20, 2023: A seer in Andhra Pradesh was arrested on Monday night for allegedly raping an orphaned 15-year-old girl multiple times over several months in the ashram he ran. Purnananda Saraswati, the administrator of the Gnanananda Ashram in Visakhapatnam’s Venkoji, was arrested based on a complaint filed by the teen in Vijayawada.

 

According to the police, the complaint alleged that Purnananda Saraswati had tortured and sexually assaulted her repeatedly.

The girl, who managed to escape from the ashram, reached Vijayawada and lodged a complaint, the police said. The girl’s parents died when she was young and her maternal grandmother left her at the ashram two years ago, they added.

“The police have taken up the investigation and Poornanda Saraswati has been taken into custody and interrogation is on," police officer Vivekananda said.

“Purnananda Saraswati has been accused of raping a minor girl for the past several months inside the ashram, taking advantage of her situation since she has no parents or guardians. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. He will be sent to judicial remand soon,” the senior police official said.

Courtesy: India Today