Chennai Mahila Court dismisses Godman's discharge petition.
Picture for representational purpose only.
Chennai: The Mahila Court in Chennai on Thursday dismissed the discharge petition of a self-proclaimed godman, who was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting minor girls and women in 2005.
Dismissing the petition, sessions Judge Meena Satheesh stated that “on perusal of records this court is of the considered view that there is prima facie material available on records to frame charges against the petitioner, Venkata Saravanan alias Prasanna Venkatcharya Chaturvedi.
On a complaint from a local resident on November 4, 2004, CCB, Egmore registered case against Chaturvedi, 36, and six others on the charge of committing 23 offences, including sexually assaulting minor girls and raping a woman since 2003.
In the discharge petition, he stated that there was no prima facie case against him and the prosecution had not made out the case even after eight years. He denied charges levelled by the prosecution.
The public prosecutor Gowri Asokhan, contended that Chaturvedi and others accused in the case were causing undue delay. The petitioner committed serious offences and the delay was due to the accused and not the prosecution. Hence, the petition is liable to be dismissed, she submitted.
( Source : dc )
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