Kerela HC dismisses plea for CBI probe of Amrita Mutt

Kochi: Kerala High Court today dismissed a petition seeking a direction to CBI to register an FIR and launch investigation against the Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt after a former inmate penned a memoir alleging sexual abuse. Dismissing the petition by advocate Deepak Prakash, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice AM Shaffique, observed that proper remedy of the petitioner is to approach the appropriate magistrate court. [caption id=“attachment_1404029” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mata Amritanandamayi. Agencies.[/caption] The bench said it will not interfere in the matter. According to the petitioner, a Supreme Court lawyer, the incident of rape happened in a religious place and the victim was a foreign national. Prakash had lodged a complaint before police and thereafter the victim sent a mail to the petitioner corroborating the averments in the book. The petitioner forwarded it to the concerned police officer including Police Commissioner and DGP for immediate action. “Unfortunately, because of political pressure, till date no action has been taken.” Even no FIR was lodged, the petitioner stated. This amounts to collapse of law and order, he submitted. Gail Tradwell, a former aide of Mata Amritanandamayi, had raised a storm in her book ‘Holy Hell- a memoir of faith, devotion and pure madness’ by alleging sexual exploitation and promiscuity among senior ashram inmates. The Karunagapally police has asked Tradwell to give her statement on the basis of the complaint lodged by the petitioner. The ashram has refuted the allegations, describing them as totally unfounded and that the institution had been functioning in a transparent manner. Kerala Police had on 26 February decided not to register a case against the mutt on the advocate’s plea in connection with the controversial book, saying the decision was taken after getting legal opinion in the matter. PTI