A 60-year-old spiritual leader has been arrested on charges of molesting a young girl at the ashram he runs in Visakhapatnam, the police confirmed on Tuesday.
The accused, Paramananda, is in charge of the Ramananda Jnanananda ashram located in Venkoji Nagar, M V P Colony area. The ashram, which has been operational since 1955, came under Paramananda’s authority through hereditary succession.
Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Trivikram Varma stated that the seer would allegedly call two girls, both approximately 14 years old, after 9 pm under the pretext of receiving a foot massage but would engage in inappropriate behavior. The molestation charges against Paramananda have been confirmed.
A few days ago, one of the girls managed to escape from the ashram. She boarded the Tirumala Express train and reached Vijayawada, where she sought assistance from individuals who helped her contact a child protection official. The girl subsequently lodged a complaint at a Disha (women protection) police station in Vijayawada. Following the complaint, Paramananda was arrested in Visakhapatnam.
Interestingly, Paramananda had previously filed a missing person report on June 15 at the M V P Colony police station, seemingly attempting to deflect suspicion.
The police are currently interviewing other children residing in the ashram to gather information about the accused and determine if similar incidents have occurred in the past. If additional cases are discovered, the commissioner affirmed that they will be consolidated into a single case for further legal proceedings.
A case has been registered against Paramananda under Sections 505 and 506 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The ashram houses 12 children and employs six staff members. Among the children, eight are boys and four are girls. Eleven of the children are from the Araku tribal area, while the complainant herself hails from Gandepally in Rajamahendravaram.
Commissioner Varma revealed that the victim initially resided at the Gandepally Sadhu Matham in Rajamahendravaram in 2016 following the loss of her parents. She was later relocated to Paramananda’s ashram.
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