Woman Accuses Padma Awardee Monk Kartik Maharaj Of Rape, Threats, And Abortion
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A woman accused Swami Pradiptananda of Bharat Sevashram Sangha of raping her under the guise of offering a job for over a decade. An investigation is underway.
A woman has accused Swami Pradiptananda, also known as Kartik Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of raping her under the guise of offering her a job. According to her complaint, the alleged abuse spanned over a decade, with ashram members involved and forcing her to undergo an abortion. This revelation comes a day after the woman's initial accusation.
The woman in her complaint said that she met Kartik Maharaj in 2012 when he offered her a job at Chanak Adivasi Abasik Balika Vidyalaya, in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, where, she alleged, he raped her.
According to the Hindustan Times, in her complaint, she further alleged that she received a call from Kartik Maharaj on June 12, and he asked her to meet him on June 13 near Berhampore Correctional Home.
'I talked to Kartik Maharaj over the phone on June 12. Two men from the ashram came to see me on June 13 and said they would take me to Beldanga. When I boarded their car, these men threatened me and asked me not to contact Kartik Maharaj ever again. Thereafter, they pushed me out of the vehicle and drove off," the three-page complaint written in Bengali said.
Based on her complaint, an FIR was filed at the Lalbagh police station in Murshidabad district on Thursday under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. ASP Raspreet Singh stated that an investigation is currently underway. However, as of the time of reporting, the Murshidabad police had not yet taken any action against the monk.
While addressing a public event in Beldanga, Kartik Maharaj sought to defend himself. 'I can only say that monks are not allowed to spend nights at the women's hostel of the ashram," he said.
Among the nine Padma Shri awardees from West Bengal this year, Kartik Maharaj was essentially an unknown figure until May 2024. This was when a controversy arose after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee targeted a group of monks during her campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.
Defending the seer, BJP's Berhampore unit chief Malay Mahajan said, 'This is dirty politics by TMC, which wants to defame Kartik Maharaj. The Hindus will retaliate." TMC spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar said, 'No sin can be washed off or justified… Law should take its course without seeing his faith."
First Published:
June 28, 2025, 08:59 IST
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