'Swami' arrested, booked in rape case

Kochi, May 13 (UNI) Police today arrested self-styled Godman Amritachaithanya alias Santhosh Madhavan, wanted by Interpol in a financial fraud in the UAE, and booked him for allegedly raping minor girls.

Addressing a press conference here along with Central IG Vinson M Paul, City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham said Santhosh was arrested this morning, following information that he, along with his driver Thomas, was travelling in a car. A police squad intercepted the car and arrested the occupants at Vypin near here, he said.

Besides the two cases registered against Santhosh, a rape case under Sections 366, 377 was also registered against the 'swami' based on a complaint from a 15-year-old girl that she had been allegedly repeatedly raped by him since 2006.

As per the girl's statement, seven or eight other minor girls were allegedly raped by Santhosh after he posed as the sponsor for their studies, Mr Abraham said.

The other two cases against Santhosh were a cheating case registered under Section 420 of IPC and one under Wildlife Protection Act for possessing tiger skin and sandalwood, which were seized from his flat in a raid.

Mr Abraham said Santhosh would be produced before the court tommorrow.

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