Pikesville, Maryland - Authorities in Maryland are now saying an incident at the home of SIST's leader, Rama Behera, was accidental. It led to police and FBI agents raiding Behera's home last week.
SIST, or the Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology, is secretive group based in Shawano. The group claims to be a non-profit that supports educational programs. Former member, however, claim SIST is a religious sect led by Behera.
One week ago, police were called to a report of a possible assault at Behera's home in the Baltimore suburb of Pikesville. When they arrived, they found an 18-year-old female who had suffered serious internal injuries.
A police report released Tuesday identifies the victim as Carmella Goldstein. She suffered a damaged pupil, punctured lungs, fractured ribs, a torn cervix, a broken pelvis and a fractured tibia in the incident.
Authorities say Goldstein and witnesses who were at the home were initially uncooperative. They have since told investigators Goldstein was injured when a slab of granite fell on her while they were doing work at the property.
Some, however, have questioned if Goldstein's injuries are consistent with an accident.
According to a police report, an emergency responder told police the victim's "injuries appeared to be possibly related to sexual trauma." A doctor at the hospital where she was treated told police he thought the injuries were a "result of blunt force trauma caused by an unknown object."
Baltimore County Police say the victim and witnesses are all telling the same story, so their investigation is over.
But many people still have questions about what exactly happened.
A SIST representative from Shawano has not responded to FOX 11's request for comment on the incident.
