Muzaffarnagar:
The Muzaffarnagar police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet in a court here, indicting a self-proclaimed spiritual guru and his disciple for sexually exploiting children in their ashram here in the district. Police had arrested ashram owner Swami Bhakt Bhushan Govind Maharaj and his disciple Kishan Mohan Das on July 9 on charges of sexually and physically exploiting children purportedly sheltered by them in their ashram at Shukertal in the district.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Dwivedi, who probed the case, said the two were booked for causing hurt and committing sodomy with children besides keeping them under threat. The charge sheet was filed under sections 323, 377 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code, besides sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act. The DySP said the two were also booked under various section of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989.
The police had arrested the duo following a raid at the ashram on July 9 when it had rescued 10 children, four of whom were found sexually exploited following their medical examinations while all of them were made to do physical work under duress and threat, the prosecution counsel said.
