PNS|Visakhapatnam
Police arrested a 63-year-old Swami Poornanada on allegations of sexually assaulting a minor girl at his ashram in Visakhapatnam for more than two years. The godman was arrested around midnight after the 15-year-old orphaned victim lodged a complaint that the accused had sexually assaulted her by confining her at the Swami Gnanananda Ashram Venkojipalem. The victim was also physically tortured for over two years.
The girl from Rajamahendravaram who had lost her parents at an early age was sent to the ashram meant for the aged and poor children by her relatives.
She alleged that the Swami used to take her to his bedroom every night and rape her. For the last one year, the victim was chained in the bedroom.
She told police that she was being given very little food and allowed to bathe only once a week. However the victim managed to escape from the ashram with the help of a domestic help on June 13.
She boarded a train and narrated her trauma to a woman passenger known to her. When the woman tried to admit her to a hostel at Kankipadu in Krishna district, the management asked her to bring a letter from the police. After receiving a letter from the police, the woman took the girl to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), where she revealed how the Swami sexually and physically assaulted her at the ashram.
CWC members sent the girl to Disha Police Station, where a case was registered against Swami Poornananda under the POCSO Act. The victim was subsequently sent to Vijayawada Government Hospital for medical examination.
The ashram has 12 children and six staff members. Out of the 12, eight are boys and four girls. Eleven of the 12 children are from Araku tribal area while the girl who lodged the complaint came from Gandepally area in Rajamahendravaram.
Varma said the victim first joined the Gandepally Sadhu Matham in Rajamahendravaram back in 2016 as she lost her parents and was later shifted to Paramananda’s ashram.
