Swami Premananda (guru)

Originally an Indian Tamil from Sri Lanka, Kumar had an ashram and orphanage in his birthplace Matale. During his years in Matale, Sri Lanka he was popularly known as 'Ravi', meaning 'sun', as he had a radiant face. He moved to India with his followers in 1983 to escape the Sri Lankan Civil War, bringing with him undocumented Sri Lankan orphans who had been in his care.{{rp|¶4}} He initially opened an ashram in a rented building in Tiruchirappalli, then moved to Fatimanagar in 1989.{{rp|¶4}} The ashram there covered 150 acres of land with plantations of flowers, fruit, and teak. The ashram served as a shelter for women and orphan children. In India, he was fondly called 'Kutti Sai Baba' which means little Sai Baba in Tamil as he had a hairstyle similar to that of Sathya Sai Baba during his early days. About 200 people lived in the ashram, most of Sri Lankan origin. Branches of the ashram later opened in the UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Mexico, and other countries.{{cite news |title=Judgment that provoked Jethmalani |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Judgment-that-provoked-Jethmalani/articleshow/1132041.cms |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130929164859/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-06-03/india/27851676_1_swami-premananda-ashram-victims |url-status=live |archive-date=29 September 2013 |access-date=29 September 2013 |newspaper=The Times of India |date=3 June 2005}}

File:Sri Premeshvarar Temple.jpg

File:Samadhi Temple.jpg]]

In 1994, one of the girls living in the ashram, Arul Jyothi, was said to have escaped and reported that she had been raped and was pregnant.{{rp|¶3}}{{cite book |author=Abraham Samuel |title=Laws of Hospital Administration |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZLJ7-S4Th0AC&pg=PA22 |access-date=15 September 2013 |publisher=BI Publications Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-81-7225-380-6 |page=22}} The All India Democratic Women's Association provided moral support and legal aid to the victims. On 15 November 1994, the police started an investigation. Two ashram residents also reported that another, called Ravi, had been murdered for attempting to expose the happenings at the ashram.

Trial took place in the sessions court in Pudukkottai, presided over by a woman judge, R. Banumathi. Noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani was among those representing the swami. The defence claimed that Premananda had divine powers and was capable of performing miracles. To debunk this myth, an illusionist was invited into the courtroom.{{cite book |author1=Kalpana Kannabiran |author2=Ranbir Singh |title=Challenging The Rules(s) of Law: Colonialism, Criminology and Human Rights in India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EaMGo6zqzNYC&pg=PA100 |access-date=15 September 2013 |date=11 November 2008 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-0-7619-3665-7 |pages=100–102 |author1-link=Kalpana Kannabiran}}

Ram Jethmalani argued that the women had consented to sex. The court noted that in some cases the consent was obtained by deceit, such as promising a cure for ailments such as asthma or by saying that sex with the swami was "service to God". The court also noted that some of the girls had been threatened with dire consequences and that some of the victims were below the age of consent (16 at the time of trial) when they were raped. Jethmalani also said that the trial was unfair because witnesses and the accused had been subjected to police brutality.{{cite news |title=The Angry Young Man |url=http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main12.asp?filename=hub062505the_angry.asp |access-date=6 September 2015 |work=Tehelka |date=25 June 2005}}

The alleged murder victim's remains were found buried on the ashram premises and were presented as evidence.{{cite book |title=Scientoonic Tell-Tale Of Genome And Dna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ToAonv_kNrAC&pg=PA113 |access-date=30 September 2013 |date=1 January 2009 |publisher=I. K. International Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-81-89866-60-0 |page=113}}

DNA samples from Arul Jyothi, her alleged aborted fetus, and Premananda were also introduced as evidence. The prosecution argued that the results established his paternity.{{cite news |title=Holy ghost! Unholy fathers |url=http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main12.asp?filename=hub051405Holy_ghost.asp |access-date=29 September 2013 |newspaper=Tehelka |date=14 May 2005 |archivedate=23 July 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723185024/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main12.asp?filename=hub051405Holy_ghost.asp}} The defense hired an expert witness from the UK, Wilson Wall, who took DNA evidence back to the UK and analyzed it; his results were that Premananda was not the father and that analysis by the Indian scientists was mishandled.{{rp|¶74, ¶90–91}}{{cite book |author=Wilson Wall |title=The DNA Detectives |year=2005 |publisher=Robert Hale |isbn=9780709075042 |pages=162–165}}K. S. Jayaraman for Nature News. 11 September 1997 [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v389/n6647/full/389109b0.html DNA fingerprinting evidence questioned]{{cite web |author=Sunil Pandya |year=2008 |url=http://nmji.in/archives/Volume_21/Issue-6/PDF-volume-21-issue-6/Volume-21-issue-6-Letter-Mumbai.pdf |title=Conference on "National Agenda on Problems and Solutions: Hyderabad. 12-14 December 2008 |work= The National Medical Journal of India 21(6):327}}{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316004217/http://nmji.in/archives/volume_21/issue-6/PDF-volume-21-issue-6/Volume-21-issue-6-Letter-Mumbai.pdf |date=16 March 2016 }}

Premananda was sentenced to double life imprisonment and fined {{currency|67.3|INR}} lakhs for 13 counts of rape, molestations of two girls and murder. Failure to pay the fine was to carry an additional term of 32 years and 9 months. He was also convicted of cheating the residents of his ashram, which carried another one-year sentence. Six others were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit rapes and destroying evidence. Five were given life sentences. In view of the severity of the crimes, the judge denied them any future remission of their sentences or amnesty by any state or central government.

Premananda appeared unperturbed by the sentences and while talking to reporters, said: "Truth will ultimately triumph".{{cite news |title=Premananda gets life sentence |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/Storyold/10248/ |access-date=1 March 2014 |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=21 August 1997}}

In January 2000, the Madras High Court ordered that {{currency|36.40|INR}} lakhs from Premananda's frozen accounts should be placed in a fixed deposit for three years and the resulting interest should be paid to the victims as compensation.{{cite news |title=Court directive on Premananda accounts |url=http://www.hindu.com/2000/01/11/stories/04112235.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223011501/http://www.hindu.com/2000/01/11/stories/04112235.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 February 2014 |access-date=29 September 2013 |newspaper=The Hindu |date=11 January 2000}} The original guilty verdict was appealed to the Madras High Court and the appeal was rejected in December 2002.{{cite web |title=Madras High Court Verdict 12 December 2012 |url=http://judis.nic.in/judis_chennai/qrydisp.aspx?filename=1040 |website=judis.nic.in |access-date= |date=}}

In April 2005, the Supreme Court of India rejected an appeal.{{cite news |title=Jethmalani's charges 'disturb' top lawyers |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jethmalanis-charges-disturb-top-lawyers/articleshow/1130960.cms |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130929164801/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-06-03/india/27867369_1_life-imprisonment-sessions-court-ram-jethmalani |url-status=live |archive-date=29 September 2013 |access-date=29 September 2013 |newspaper=The Times of India |date=3 June 2005}} On 5 February 2009, the Madras High Court rejected a habeas corpus petition, keeping in view the recommendations of the district sessions judge at the time of conviction and the previous Supreme Court order.{{cite news |title=Premananda case: habeas corpus petition dismissed |url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/06/stories/2009020660040700.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210172233/http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/06/stories/2009020660040700.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 February 2009 |access-date=29 September 2013 |newspaper=The Hindu |date=6 February 2009}} On 26 June 2010, however, the same court accepted Premananda's petition requesting a three-month parole to undergo medical treatment.{{cite news |title=Pass orders on Premananda's plea |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/article485589.ece |access-date=29 September 2013 |newspaper=The Hindu |date=26 June 2010}}

As of 2005 a European named Doris was running the ashram who said that Premananda was innocent.

In March 1997, Aruljyothy, one of the girls who had been taken away for interrogation, stated in court that the girls' testimony against Swami Premananda had been made under torture.{{Cite web |url=https://advaitananda.com/a-similar-case-of-abuses-of-authorities-in-tamil-nadu-in-chennai-where-satya-yoga-have-its-headquarter-the-strange-case-of-swami-premananda/ |title=A Similar Case of Abuses of Authorities in Tamil Nadu, in Chennai, where Satya Yoga School Has Its Headquarter: The Strange Case of Swami Premananda |website=advaitananda.com |date=14 August 2011}}

Premananda died on 21 February 2011 of acute liver failure, while being held in Cuddalore Central Prison. Until his death, he continued to maintain that he was innocent.{{cite news |title=Godman Premananda passes away |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/139851/godman-premananda-passes-away.html |access-date=29 September 2013 |newspaper=Deccan Herald |date=21 February 2011}}{{Cite web |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2012/02/21/fea03.asp |title = Features |website=Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers}}Daily News, Sri Lanka

On 16 November 2014, Swami Premananda's birth anniversary was observed by his devotees at the residence of C. V. Vigneswaran in Colombo, Sri Lanka.{{cite news |title=Swami Premananda Birthday celebration in Colombo |url=http://www.omlanka.com/Swami-Premanada-161114.html |access-date=20 March 2016 |work=Om Lanka |date=16 November 2014}} On 22 February 2015, the Swami Premananda International Conference was held in Colombo. It was attended by A. T. Ariyaratne, founder of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, D. M. Swaminathan, a Sri Lankan Tamil Cabinet Minister, C. V. Vigneswaran, the Chief Minister of the Northern Province, and about 50 delegates from various countries including Argentina, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Nepal, the UK, the US, Sweden, Switzerland, India and Poland.{{cite news |title=Swamy Premananda International Conference |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150405/plus/swamy-premananda-international-conference-142979.html |access-date=20 March 2016 |work=The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) |date=5 April 2015}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.sripremananda.org Official website]

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