Bengal Woman Accuses Padma Awardee Monk Kartik Maharaj Of Rape, Abortion | India News
New Delhi: A shocking scandal has rocked West Bengal, with a woman accusing Padma Shri awardee monk Kartik Maharaj of raping her multiple times in 2013. Maharaj, a prominent figure in the Bharat Sevashram Sangha, allegedly promised the woman a teaching job at a school in Murshidabad, where he purportedly assaulted her repeatedly over six months.
According to media reports, Maharaj allegedly lured the woman to his ashram in Murshidabad, West Bengal, and repeatedly assaulted her there, threatening to harm himself if she dared to report the incident.
Citing the woman’s complaint, the media reported, Maharaj offered her a job at Chanak Adivasi Abasik Balika Vidyalaya in Murshidabad, where she claimed he raped her multiple times between January and June 2013. The woman alleges that Maharaj threatened to harm himself if she reported the incident, forcing her to remain silent for over a decade.
She also claims that Maharaj forced her to undergo an abortion at a private hospital in Berhampore after she became pregnant due to the repeated assaults.
However, Maharaj, who was conferred the Padma Shri – the fourth-highest civilian award – this year, has denied any wrongdoing. He also said that there is a provision of accommodation at the said ashram mentioned by the woman.
Maharaj has vehemently denied the allegations, stating that as a sanyasi, he faces such obstacles, and his legal team will respond to the matter in court. A case has been registered against Maharaj under relevant sections, and an investigation is currently underway. “I am a sanyasi. Such obstacles are not uncommon in the life of a monk,” he said.
The case has sparked controversy, given Maharaj’s close ties with the BJP. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had previously accused him of supporting the saffron party in elections, prompting Maharaj to seek an unconditional apology from Banerjee. The incident comes amid protests against the Trinamool government over another alleged gang-rape incident involving a law student in Kolkata.
Maharaj had sent a legal notice in 2024, seeking an unconditional apology from Banerjee for “tarnishing” the image of his ashram.
The recent allegations against Padma Shri awardee monk Kartik Maharaj come amid a tumultuous time for the Trinamool government in West Bengal, which is facing widespread protests following a shocking gang-rape incident at Kolkata’s South Calcutta Law College.
A 24-year-old law student alleged that she was gang-raped by three individuals, including a former student linked to the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, the student wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress, and two current students, within the college premises on June 25.
The accused have been arrested and taken into police custody. This incident has sparked outrage, drawing parallels to the RG Kar Medical College incident last year, and raising concerns about safety and law enforcement in the state.
