Daati Maharaj asked to appear before court

NEW DELHI: A local court on Thursday issued a notice asking rape accused and self-styled godman Daati Maharaj to appear on January 23, 2019. 

The Saket District Court on Thursday took cognizance of the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police Crime Branch. The judicature also issued notices to the three brothers of Daati Maharaj.

Daati Maharaj came under the scrutiny after the woman filed a complaint alleging that he had raped her inside Shani Dham two years ago. She filed the complaint against his three brothers also at the Fatehpur Beri Police Station. Because of social stigma and fear, the victim did not lodge a complaint earlier as she was afraid of the self-styled godman.

The Delhi Police had filed the charge sheet against Daati and his three kin on October 1 for allegedly raping a woman devotee under sections 376 (punishment for rape, with a maximum term of seven years) and 377 (unnatural offences) of the IPC.