Amravati spiritual leader booked for rape, POCSO; absconding

A spiritual leader of Anand Math in Amravati district has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act for allegedly raping and sexually exploiting a woman since 2016, with the accused currently absconding as police search for him. The survivor alleges she began living with him in 2016 after meeting him in 2014, and that the abuse continued for years. The Chandur Railway police registered the case under sections 64(2) and 351(2) of the BNS and relevant POCSO provisions, and investigations are ongoing. The reporting notes that the incident is part of broader scrutiny of how investigations are handled in similar cases, including prior concerns raised by a Bombay High Court panel about a separate case and the transfer of that probe to CID. Police have not yet made any arrests in this matter, and further inquiries are underway to gather additional evidence and testimonies.