A day before she was to appear before the police for questioning in connection with dowry harassment case, troubles mounted for self-styled godwoman Radhe Maa alias Sukhvinder Kaur on Thursday, with a city court rejecting her anticipatory bail plea.
On Sunday, Radhe Maa had refrained from responding to summons issued by the Kandivli police to her for questioning on a complaint filed by Nikki Gupta against her husband Nakul Gupta, a chartered accountant and five other family members alleging harassment at the instance of Radhe Maa for dowry demands.
After Radhe Maa moved the city sessions court for anticipatory bail, Judge VA Raut, rejected her anticipatory bail plea.Her lawyers may move the Bombay High Court on Friday, if Radhe Maa does not want to join investigations at this stage.
Radhe Maa faces a charge that her supporters — Nakul Gupta and his family members lata Gupta, Daulatkumar Gupta, Sandip Gupta, Jyoti Gupta and Jagmohan Gupta — were harassing Nikki Gupta for quite some time. Nikki’s allegation is that her husband and other Gupta family members had allegedly abused her and made derogatory comments against her, besides making her work at Radhe Maa’s ashram.
An FIR was registered against Radhe Maa last month following a Borivali Magistrate’s court order. She was booked under Sections 498(a), 406, 420, 323, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Dowry Act.
Radhe Maa also faces a complaint lodged by lawyer-activist Falguni Brahmbhatt against her with the Borivli police station for alleged obscenity. Besides, there are two more police complaints — one filed by lawyer-activist Ashok Rajput for allegedly promoting superstition and another by actress Dolly Bindra who has complained she has been receiving threats ever since she stopped going to her sermons now.
Meanwhile, the city police are examining whether they can invoke the provisions of Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act against her.