A 23-year-old law student chopped off the genitals of a sanyasi when he allegedly tried to rape her at her home in Pettah, police said on Saturday.
Reacting to the news, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the woman's act as "brave" and "courageous".
"It was a courageous step, no doubt about it," he told reporters here promising all support to the woman.
According to a complaint filed by the woman, the 54-year-old swami belonging to the Padmana Chattampi Swami Ashram, had been repeatedly raping her for the last seven years. The swami used to frequent her house to perform pujas in order to bring relief to her paralysed and bed-ridden father.
When the man tried to sexually abuse her again on Friday night at her house in Pettah, she protested and chopped off his genitals with a knife, police said.
The incident came to light after the suspect, identified as Gangeshananda Theerthapada alias Hariswami, was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital here with critical injuries in the wee hours of Saturday, police said.
He underwent an emergency surgery and his condition is stable now, they said.
The hospital said a team of medical professional conducted plastic surgery on the swami and he was now out of danger.
However, the swami has refuted reports that the woman chopped his genitals off for repeatedly raping her. The swami told police that he cut off the organ himself as it was not useful to him. The sanyasi's comments are from the statement he gave Kerala Police after being charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act for repeatedly raping the now 22-year-old woman over a period of seven years.
According to the police, the swami is a resident of the Padmana Chattampi Swami Ashram in Kollam, which he joined 15 years ago after deciding to become a spiritual guru.
No case has been registered against the woman so far, police added.
"Due process of law will be followed after taking the statement of the accused," a police officer who did not want to be named.
The management of Padmana Chattampi Swami Ashram, associated with social reformer Chattambi Swamy, said Gangeshananda had come to the ashram as a 'brahmachari' (celibate) 15 years ago, but did not complete his course.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came out in support of the woman.
Asked if "strong action" would be taken against the accused, he shot back: "Strong action has already taken place. All we need is to extend our support to her."
Prameela Devi, a member of the Kerala State Women's Commission, said she felt proud of the woman.
"Such acts by anyone, especially when it comes under the guise of a religious tag, irrespective of the religion, is not acceptable," she said.
She expressed shock over the incident and said the woman was forced to take the extreme step after suffering years of "harassment, pain and humiliation."
BJP leader K. Rajashekharan also demanded action against the godman. "Anyone who does a crime needs to face consequences," he said.