Seer arrested for raping orphan girl in ashram for months
A seer has been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old orphan girl multiple times over several months at an ashram that he ran in Andhra Pradesh. Reportedly, the accused has been identified as Purnananda Saraswati, and he is the administrator of the Gnanananda Ashram in Visakhapatnam's Venkoji. The victim, who managed to flee the ashram, has filed a police complaint in Vijayawada.
Case registered under POCSO Act
The police told India Today that the complainant accused Saraswati of torturing and sexually assaulting her repeatedly. They added that the girl's parents died when she was young, and her maternal grandmother left her at the ashram two years ago. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code along with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
