Thursday September 1, 12:45 PM
German woman alleges rape in
Puttaparthi
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By Indo Asian News Service
Hyderabad, Sep 1 (IANS) A German devotee of
spiritual guru Sathya Sai Baba has alleged that she was drugged
and raped by two people in her rented flat in Andhra Pradesh's
Puttaparthi town.
Police in the globally famous headquarters of
the guru in Anantapur district, 400 km from here, Tuesday
registered a case on the basis of her letter to the police chief
and sent her for medical examination.
However, some top police officials said she
appeared to be mentally disturbed.
Doctors at the Anantapur General Hospital
Wednesday said she would be under observation for 48 hours,
during which they would also conduct the necessary medical tests
on her to find out if there was any truth in the charges.
In her complaint faxed to Director General of
Police Swaranjit Sen, the German national alleged that she was
drugged and repeatedly raped at Sai Nilayam apartments by the
watchman and the manager of the apartment.
She said she arrived at Puttaparthi on July 4
and had been staying there since then, except for two breaks -
when she went to Chennai.
She also stated that she was forced to
complain to the chief as the local police had failed to take her
complaint seriously.
However, a senior police official in the town
said the woman was a drug addict and mentally unsound. 'It is
hard to believe her statements. We have registered a case and
the truth will come out after the probe.'
This is not the first time a foreign devotee
has complained of being raped in Puttaparthi and police have
dismissed the devotee as being mentally disturbed.
A few months ago, an Italian woman had
alleged that locals had raped her in the town. Police responded
by refusing to register a case and branding her mentally
disturbed.
Hundreds of devotees including many from
abroad, throng Puttaparthi to seek the blessings of Sai Baba,
who claims to be a reincarnation of a Hindu god.
Sai Baba, who claims to have performed
miracles like producing gold out of thin air, stopped performing
miracles nearly 15 years ago when rationalists accused him of
cheating people and disputed his claims of performing miracles.
His devotees include several heads of state
and government, members of royal families and top politicians
and bureaucrats of the country.
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