Jain Monk Sentenced to 10 Years in Jail for Raping 19-Year-Old College Student in Surat

New Delhi: A sessions court in Surat on Saturday sentenced a Jain Digambar monk to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 19-year-old woman in 2017. The accused, 56-year-old Shantisagarji Maharaj, was also fined ₹25,000 by the court.

The verdict was delivered by additional district and sessions judge AK Shah, who relied on the survivor’s statement, medical evidence, CCTV footage, and testimonies of prosecution witnesses to convict the monk.

Monk Lured Victim Through Her Father

According to public prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala, the monk had targeted the woman by first contacting her through her father, who was his follower.

The woman told police that in October 2017, she travelled from Vadodara to Surat with her father and elder brother to visit the Mahavir Digambar Jain Temple, where the accused was residing at the Jain Dharamshala.

The incident took place on October 1, 2017. The monk allegedly separated the father and brother into different rooms under the pretext of conducting rituals. He chanted mantras and instructed them not to come out until he allowed them to, the woman said.

The accused then entered the room where the survivor was alone and raped her, warning her of severe consequences for her family if she resisted.

"He told her that her family would face bad consequences if she protested," the prosecution said.

After committing the crime, the monk warned her to visit him whenever he called, further threatening her into silence, the report added.

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Prosecution Sought Life Sentence Citing Trauma

“The prosecution had sought a life sentence for him, highlighting the mental and physical trauma the victim underwent after being raped by someone her family revered,” said public prosecutor Sukhadwala.

The incident shook the local Jain community, as the monk had been seen as a religious figure and had the trust of the victim’s family.

Convicted Monk in Jail Since 2017

Shantisagarji Maharaj has been lodged in jail since October 2017, shortly after the complaint was filed. Given the time he has already spent in judicial custody, he will now have to serve the remaining two and a half years of the sentence.

The court’s decision marked the end of a seven-year legal battle, offering a degree of closure to the survivor and her family, who had been seeking justice since 2017.

The case also served as a grim reminder of how faith and trust can be exploited, and how even revered religious figures can be held accountable in a court of law.