A national-level Taekwondo player has alleged that she was gang-raped inside an ashram right next to a police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. The woman says the attack happened in January, but she filed a police complaint only four months later.
According to the survivor, she went to the ashram with a local man named Govind Mahto while looking for a shop space to sell old clothes. “Mahto told me he would introduce me to powerful people who could help,” the woman told police.
She claims that inside the ashram, she was given a laddoo (sweet), after which she lost consciousness. She says she was then gang-raped by Mahto, the ashram’s chief priest (mahant), and others. She named four people in her complaint, including temple priests.
When asked why she waited four months to report the crime, the woman said, “I was scared because they have political connections.”
A video of the alleged assault, which the survivor submitted to the police, has also gone viral on social media. The video reportedly shows an elderly man assaulting her inside the ashram.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Mahesh Kumar said, “The woman approached the DCP with her complaint, which was handed to me for investigation. We have visited the ashram room shown in the video. We are checking all details and will take action.”
In response, the ashram priests have claimed they were not present at the time. “We were in Prayagraj attending the Kumbh,” they said, and have given photos and videos to police as proof. Police say they are verifying this evidence.
