The CB-CID wing of the Tamil Nadu Police on Wednesday arrested self-styled godman Sri Siva Sankar Baba, 72, from Delhi for allegedly sexually harassing the girl students in his Sushil Hari International School at Kelambakkam in Chennai.
Baba, who was absconding on the pretext of a pilgrimage to Uttarakhand, was nabbed from Chittaranjan Park in Delhi. On Tuesday, a CB-CID team led by DSP Gunavarman and Inspector of Police Jaisankar had reached Dehradun following information that Baba was admitted to a private hospital there. However, he had managed to escape before the investigation team reached.
A team of officers of the cybercrime department including SP Vijayakumar helped the CB-CID team to locate Baba in Dehradun and then in Delhi. The investigators used the mobile tower locations of his devotees since Baba doesn't use a mobile phone. They had also sought the help of Delhi Police.
Baba will be brought back to Chennai late in the evening on Wednesday for further interrogation on several complaints against him. The police officials are planning to conduct the interrogation at a secluded place, before producing him in the court.
The self-styled godman runs the Sushil Hari International School at Kelambakkam on the outskirts of Chennai. Around 13 girl students, including two minors, at the school had filed sexual harassment complaints against him. Based on these complaints, three FIRs have already been filed against Baba.
One of the girls had filed a detailed complaint in which she said how Baba summoned her to his lounge on her birthday and kissed her all over and later even sexually abused her.
Baba was charged under Sections 364 (outraging a woman’s modesty), 363 (kidnapping), 365 (wrongful consignment), 366 (kidnapping and forced or seduced to illicit intercourse), Tamil Nadu prohibition of harassment of women Act 2002 and Sections 4, 8, 10, 12 and 17 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The issue came to light after many former students of Padma Sheshadri School raised sexual harassment complaints against one of its teachers, Rajagopal. Following this, former students of Sushil Hari school, too, came forward to share their harrowing experience with Baba during their schooling. Based on these statements, the Tamil Nadu state commission for protection of child rights issued summons to the school administration and conducted enquiries. Following these enquiries, the case was transferred to the CB-CID by DGP Tripathy.
