Madhepura: In a significant ruling, the Madhepura court sentenced Sukrit Suman, alias Subodh Sah, the former Mahant of Divya Kabir Sansthan in Sahebganj Itahari, to life imprisonment on Monday for sexually exploiting a minor.
The court of ADJ-6 Amit Kumar Pandey also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the accused in a case dating back to 2014. The case originated in July 2014 when a 16-year-old girl from the Alamnagar police station area lodged an FIR against the Mahant.
According to the victim, the accused first visited her village in 2012 and began frequenting Basanbada Kabir Math every one to two months. During these visits, he allegedly lured her with promises of marriage and sexually exploited her repeatedly. The victim further stated that the Mahant maintained contact with her via phone and visited her home.
However, when she became pregnant and pressed for marriage, he severed all communication and stopped visiting her residence. When she sought him out at the institute in Murliganj, he had already fled.
Special Public Prosecutor for the POCSO Court, Vijay Kumar Mehta, revealed that the prosecution presented statements from seven witnesses. After evaluating the evidence and arguments, the court found the Mahant guilty, sentencing him to life imprisonment and imposing the fine.
