Rape: Woman accuses monk of raping her in 2016 | News from Vadodara

Vadodara: A monk who used to be in Wadi Swaminarayan Temple in the walled city accused from rape by a woman who claimed that the incident occurred in 2016, when she was 14 years old. The woman claimed in a crime registered at Wadi Police Station that the accused also had her nude videos and photos.
The woman claimed that she began attending the temple with her family in 2014.She added that the accused Jagatpavandas Swami joined the temple in 2015. According to the complaint, her father came in contact with Jagatpavandas in 2016.
The plaintiff alleged that in July 2016, the defendant called her father’s mobile phone at night. She answered the call as she had the phone with her and spoke to the defendant. Later, she and the defendant chatted on WhatsApp at night when she had her father’s phone with her.
The complaint states that in 2016, the accused travelled to the US and brought her a watch as a gift. He asked her to collect the watch but the complainant asked him to give the watch to her father. However, Jagatpavandas did not do so and on September 10, 2016, when the survivor was visiting the temple, she went to the accused’s room where she was allegedly raped. He threatened her and asked her not to tell anyone about the incident. The next day, the accused came to her school and gave her contraceptive pills which she swallowed.
The complaint states that the accused and the survivor remained in contact through video calls and messages afterward. The survivor allegedly sent nude videos and photos to the accused during this time. The accused left the temple in November 2019 and did not remain in contact afterward.
Although the plaintiff had not filed a complaint before, she did so now because she feared that her photos and videos could be circulated to defame her. She came to file a complaint with her friend’s brother.
Deputy Commissioner of Police DG Palsana said that the police are currently collecting evidence in the case. He said that the accused has been charged under the POCSO Act as the complainant was a minor at the time of the incident.

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