Priest flees ashram after raping minor in Bihar, caught

An ashram priest was arrested for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl. The priest had fled after committing the crime but was later caught in Asragant area of ​​Munger district in Bihar.

The incident took place in Bhagalpur city. The accused, identified as Dharmanand Baba (40), was arrested on Saturday.

According to police, the incident occurred on Friday, May 24, after the victim went to the ashram in search of her father. Baba, who claimed to be able to exorcise evil spirits, allegedly raped the minor on the premises when he found that no one was in the ashram.

Local police station in-charge Safdar Ali said, “The victim’s father was out for work. Her mother was in the neighbourhood. Her father frequently visited the ashram, so the child went there to look for him.”

“When her mother returned home, she could not find her daughter and reached the ashram while searching for her. Seeing her daughter half naked, she started calling out to the locals who immediately rushed to the spot. After the crime came to light, Baba tried to flee but was arrested by the Munger police,” the official added.

The accused was then produced before a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court and sent to Bhagalpur jail.Meanwhile, the victim was admitted to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital in Bhagalpur for treatment and medical examination.

This incident follows another shocking case in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, where an acharya (a Hindu religious teacher) and a caretaker were arrested for sexually abusing at least three minor boys in a local ashram.According to local police, 19 boys filed complaints alleging cases of sexual harassment in the ashram.