Self-styled godman wanted in rape case goes missing: Goa cops

A self-styled godman from Karnataka, wanted on charges of raping a 19-year-old woman here, has gone missing, police said today.
A team of the Goa Police had gone to Karnataka but returned empty handed as the "godman" could not be found, they said.
The woman, originally from Achra in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra and currently staying in Goa, has complained to the police that the "godman" raped her in a house near Mapusa town of the state. She has named two other accused in the case, including the person who took her to the house.
"The police team which visited Kundapur in Karnataka could not find the godman at his ashram. The cops conducted search at other places where he was likely to be. But he has been missing," a senior police officer at the Vasco Police Station told PTI.

The police were questioning the two other accused - Santosh Kumbhar and Nikhil Chavan. "We have got certain information which can lead us to the godman," he said.
According to the complaint filed yesterday, the woman has alleged that Kumbhar, who hails from Nipani in Karnataka and known to her, gave her a lift promising to drop her to Achra.

"She said Kumbhar offered her a soft drink on the way which she suspects was laced with drugs. He took her to a house near Mapusa. The woman claimed that the godman, who hails from Kundapur town in the neighbouring state, was present in the house along with another person who she identified as Nikhil Chavan," according to the complaint.

The woman alleged that Kumbhar and Chavan soon left the house after which the godman raped her. She said he threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
The Vasco police have booked the godman on charges of rape, unnatural offences, causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence, and criminal intimidation.