Bengal woman accuses Padma-awardee monk of rape, forced abortion

A woman in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district has accused a monk, Swami Pradiptananda, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj, a Padma Shri awardee, of repeatedly raping her since 2013 on the pretext of giving her a job.

Kartik, associated with the Bharat Sevashram Sangha's Beldanga unit, denied the allegation, saying that it was intended to tarnish his reputation.

The development comes at a time when a political slugfest has broken out in the state over the alleged gang-rape of a law college student on the south Kolkata campus.

Also Read: Kolkata: Woman gangraped for rejecting marriage proposal, says police

Promised a job

Kartik, who received the Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian honour in the country, has been accused by the woman in her complaint of promising her a job at Chanak Adivasi Abasik Balika Vidyalaya, one of the schools run by his ashram.

She alleged that Kartik made the promise when the two met in December 2013. According to an NDTV report, the woman claimed that she was lodged at the school hostel on January 13 and was assured to be hired soon.

Also Read: Kolkata gangrape: What can one do if a friend rapes friend? asks TMC MP

Raped at school hostel

According to her police complaint, during her stay at the hostel, Kartik raped her multiple times after taking her to a room on the fifth floor of the building.

"However, he would almost every day take me to a room on the fifth floor of the premises and rape me," she said in her complaint written in Bengali as reported by NDTV.

She further alleged that on another occasion Kartik asked him to stay at his ashram for five days and there also raped her multiple times. Then he sent her home, saying that he would send her money every month.

Also Read: Kolkata law student rape: 'Like RG Kar movement, we are planning big protests'

Forced to undergo abortion

According to her complaint, when she became pregnant in 2013, Kartik, along with some school staff, took her to a private nursing facility in Berhampore and forced her to undergo an abortion. The accused also threatened her when she tried to resist.

The woman claimed that the sexual assaults continued as she kept waiting to get hired. Finally, when she called Raja, he asked her to wait at a particular spot in Berhampore at 7 pm on June 13. Raja told her that two people would come to pick her up.

After the two men arrived and they boarded a vehicle, they threatened and asked her not to contact Kartik again. The duo then pushed her out of the vehicle.

According to a report by The Times of India, Kartik denied the allegation, claiming that it was a conspiracy to malign his “name and fame”.

According to media reports, there is yet to be any arrest in the case.