The prosecution had sought a life sentence for him, highlighting the mental and physical trauma the victim underwent after being raped by someone her family revered.
A sessions court in Surat has sentenced Shantisagarji Maharaj, a monk of the Jain Digambar sect, to 10 years in prison for the rape of a 19-year-old woman in 2017. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the convicted monk.
Additional District and Sessions Judge A.K. Shah delivered the sentence after finding Shantisagarji Maharaj, 56, guilty of rape. The court considered testimonies from the victim and other prosecution witnesses, along with medical reports and CCTV footage, in reaching its verdict.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred at the Jain Dharamshala in Surat in October 2017. The victim, who resided in Vadodara with her family, had travelled to Surat with her father and brother to visit the monk, whom they regarded as a guru.
Public Prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala stated that Shantisagarji Maharaj had obtained the victim’s mobile number from her father and had contacted her before the incident. On the day of the crime, he separated the victim’s father and brother into different rooms under the pretence of conducting rituals, instructing them not to leave. He then allegedly raped the victim in a separate room, threatening her with dire consequences for her family if she resisted.
The victim also alleged that Shantisagarji Maharaj had demanded nude photographs from her under the guise of performing religious rituals.
The victim’s family initially hesitated to report the incident due to concerns about social stigma. However, they later filed a complaint at the Athavalines police station in Surat, 13 days after the assault, aiming to prevent similar incidents from happening to other young women.
Shantisagarji Maharaj was arrested in October 2017 and has been in judicial custody at Lajpore jail in Surat since then. The prosecution presented 33 witnesses and various pieces of evidence, including medical and forensic reports, to support their case.
“The victim regarded Jain Muni Shantisagar as her guru. The position of a guru is higher than that of parents. A guru’s role is to impart knowledge to their disciples, but the hypocritical Digambar Jain Muni raped his disciple, ruining her life and tarnishing the name of the guru,” said public prosecutor Sukhadwala.
Due to his time already served, Shantisagarji Maharaj will have to serve approximately two and a half more years in prison. The prosecution had sought a life sentence, emphasising the severe mental and physical trauma inflicted upon the victim.
(Inputs from Shailesh Champaneriya)
