No bail for bobbitised Kerala godman

Thiruvananthapuram, June 20: A trial court on Tuesday denied bail to a 54-year-old godman who was allegedly bobbitised in May by a young woman at a house here he often visited.

The court also agreed to a plea by the police demanding a polygraph test on the young woman.

The incident occurred here on May 18 when Hari Swami was at the residence of the 23-year-old woman and her parents.

Soon after the incident, Hari Swami was hospitalized. Based on the complaint of the young woman, he was arrested.

Hari Swami's judicial custody ends on July 1.

But the case has taken several twists and turns. Swami first told the doctors that he bobbitised himself. Later, the young woman's mother gave a clean chit to the godman.

A few days back the young woman said the godman had never misbehaved with her and accused the police of fabricating the story against him.

She sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the matter, saying she had no faith in the Kerala Police.

The court on Tuesday asked the young woman to appear before it or through her counsel on June 26 to say if she was ready for the polygraph test.

In a related development, a friend of the young woman filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court on Monday stating she was under house arrest and hence various stories were being floated about the incident.

The petition filed by Ayyapa Das said the godman had misbehaved with the woman when she was young.