NUMEROUS OF GODMEN REMAIN ELUSIVE IN THE LONG HANDS OF LAW!

Now friends, we would see how these dhongi sadhus and gurus remain elusive completely free even in the hands of god!

NAGPUR: Only time will tell whether or not godman Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai will be punished for the alleged misdeeds in which they were learnt to have engaged in the name of divinity to disciples. A reply from city police, procured under RTI Act, underlined the fact that several godmen or religious gurus have been booked for various types of so-called misdeeds but never punished.

The RTI reply, which shockingly missed mentioning several cases during the period for which the information was sought, claimed that only 11 offences were registered against religious gurus irrespective of caste, community or faith between 2009 and July this year. The glaring mistake in the information provided by city police commissionerate seems to reflect the lackadaisical approach of cops while dealing with such godmen and gurus who had either cheated or exploited unassuming citizens in the name of divinity.

The RTI reply also states that charge sheets had been sent in nine out of 11 cases registered. Kotwali police could not send a charge sheet in the murder case of bookie-turned-police informer Subhash Sahu in 2011 after having failed to get a clue about the 'sadhu' who had delivered holy water laced with poison to the victim. In 2011, another godman was acquitted of rape as Tehsil police could not prove the charges against him.

The reply however did not include information about several important cases. A molestation case registered at Gittikhadan in which two children, aged 5 and 7, were abused by 75-year-old Hanuman temple priest Babulal Dwivedi in February this year was among the misses. Similarly, the case where 63-year-old Reverend Father M P Kurien was booked for molestation by Gittikhadan police in September in 2011 too was ignored. The alleged molestation case of a girl by 63-year-old Louis Bhonsle, registered at Ajni police station in September 2010, too did not find a place in the information provided under the Act.

Anti-superstition activist and veteran social worker Umesh Choubey stated that the godmen and the gurus used their money power and influence to wriggle out of the adverse situation. "These godmen ensure that the witnesses turn hostile," he said. "Despite odds, there are some positive rays in the society when we hear about punishment being slapped to some of these godmen," he said.

Neelima Deshmukh, director for Centre for Women's Studies and Development, Nagpur University, stated that lack of punishment would boost the confidence of such fake godmen and dubious gurus. "It's a sorry state of affairs if a woman or child is not safe even at shrines or places which these gurus label as their ashrams," she said. "The sadhus and gurus should practice austerity. On the contrary, they live lavishly in sprawling palatial places. We need to build a strong anti-superstition movement against them," she said.

Additional public prosecutor Jyoti Vajani lambasted the society for the deteriorating situation. "Judiciary cannot be blamed for acquittals. Why the cases are not investigated in true spirit or why people do not want to depose against the erring godmen or gurus? We need answers to such questions," she said. Vajani also said why parents, particularly mothers, take their daughters to the ashrams of these babas and leave them overnight. "Society needs awareness. It's the people who can set the things right," she said.