The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed religious leader Daati Maharaj’s review petition of its order transferring the inquiry into the rape case against him to the Central Bureau of Investigation, PTI reported. He is accused of allegedly raping and having unnatural sex with an inmate of his ashram.
The High Court on October 3 had transferred the probe to the CBI from the Delhi Police Crime Branch. It had observed that the police’s handling of the case “cast a shadow on the investigation”. The Crime Branch had filed a chargesheet against the accused on October 1, nearly three months after a First Information Report against him on June 11.
A 25-year-old woman had alleged that Daati Maharaj raped her at his ashrams in Delhi and Rajasthan, and had filed a complaint at the Fatehpur Beri police station against him, his three brothers and a woman. She had also moved the Delhi High Court seeking a CBI investigation.
However, the Delhi Police claimed its probe was not partisan as the victim alleged and informed court that Daati Maharaj had been interrogated eight times during the investigation.
After the case was transferred to the CBI, it had booked Daati Maharaj for allegedly raping and having unnatural sex with the woman.
The review plea was initially filed in the Supreme Court, which asked the religious leader to approach the High Court instead. Daati Maharaj denied all the allegations and claimed that he was being falsely accused of the crimes.
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