Three sadhus arrested for sodomising boy

Chennai Online/July 22, 2004

Ahmedabad -- Three sadhus of the renowned Swaminarayan sect, who had allegedly sodomised a 12-year old boy, were yesterday arrested nearly a fortnight after the incident, police said here last night.

The three sadhus had been 'absconding' after the incident that occurred on July 5 and were arrested even as police maintained a veil of secrecy over the arrests.

Assistant commissioner of police K D Pandya confirmed that the three sadhus were arrested but refused to divulge any other information.

"They had been absconding after the incident but I can tell you that they have not been arrested from the temple," Pandya said.

The victim, who was a working in a tea-stall in Maninagar area and was allegedly lured by these sadhus, who promised to give him sweets in the Kalupur Swaminarayan temple and later they took him to one of the rooms and sodomised him.

However, police was at a loss to explain the delay in arresting these sadhus despite the fact that the Forensic Science laboratory report had suggested that the boy had been sodomised.