Maa takes her maha durbar to Kandivali cops

Maa takes her maha durbar to Kandivali cops
By Lievanta Millar

On a day the Bombay High Court gave her interim relief from arrest for two weeks, self-proclaimed godwoman Radhe Maa made a red carpet entry at Kandivali police station, where she had been summoned for questioning in connection with dowry harassment and obscenity cases filed against her.

In the days since she came under the police scanner, Radhe Maa, originally Sukhwinder Kaur, has come to be synonymous with garish red outfits, a small golden trishul, eyes closed in meditative bliss and often being carried around by her disciples.

Friday was no different. The ‘godwoman’ was driven to Kandivali police station at a little past noon in a Toyota Fortuner from Walkeshwar by one of her main trustees, Sanjay Gupta.

Surrounded by her advocate and two close disciples, Choti Maa and Rita Purohit, Radhe Maa, clad in a bright red sari worked with gold and trishul in hand, chose to walk up to the first floor of the police station for the questioning.

She walked back to her car as well at the end of the five-hour grilling session, but gave in to her disciple who lifted and placed her on a red velvet cloth covering the SUV’s passenger seat.

Present during the questioning were her advocate and disciples, two and three police officers from Kandivali and Borivali police stations respectively. A typist, a confidante and two policewomen were present as well.

During the questioning, police officers said, Radhe Maa sipped a mystery energy drink from a flask carried by Choti Maa, but did not eat or drink anything else during the questioning. All the while, around 100 near-tearful devotees waited outside, chanting mantras and looking more anxious as time wore on.

Police sources said Radhe Maa had most probably been trained by legal experts, taking her time to answer questions. “She didn’t seem nervous at all and took a good minute before answering each question,” sources said.

5 hours, 105 questions

Police sources confirmed that Radhe Maa was not only questioned by the Kandivali police in connection with the dowry harassment case that had been registered against her on July 26 but also by the Borivali police in connection with the written complaint that had been filed by an advocate claiming that the godwoman is obscene as she kisses and hugs her disciples and also dresses in short clothes.

“We had 70 questions for her, while Borivali police asked her another 35. We questioned her on her answers as well. All questions revolved around allegations made in the FIR and the written complaint,” sources said.

The key queries, police said, were on allegations made by Nikki Gupta of dowry harassment, if she calls herself a god and allegations of obscenity. She told police that she knew Gupta only as a devotee.

“She said that she knew who she was but did not have anything to do with her. The complainant had alleged that she would treat her like a servant and also kick her, poke her with her trishul and hit her. She has denied all allegations,” a police source said.

Kaur also said she does not call herself a god, but a disciple of god, and denied that her acts are obscene in any way. “All she says is, I treat my disciples as my sons. How is it obscene for a mother to kiss her own son?” a source added.

The questioning session was recorded on video. “We want to ensure that we have a proper record of her statements in case she contradicts them,” a source said.

Mukund Pawar, Senior PI, Kandivali police station said the investigating officers were satisfied with the answers, and further investigation was on.

Police sources said an arrest in the case is highly unlikely as there is no concrete evidence against Radhe Maa. Police said the charges of obscenity also are highly unlikely to be filed against her as no ‘victim’ has come forward to complain that Radhe Maa kissed them.

While Rita Purohit’s phone was not reachable, repeated calls to Choti Maa went unanswered.