12th-fail ‘Mahant’ exploited college girls:Socialised with ministers by day; drank partied with history-sheeters at night

In the first part of Crime Files, you read how Kajal, a college student from Rewa, accused a storyteller-preacher of rape. On March 28, 2022, under the pretext of helping her deposit college fees, history-sheeter Vinod Pandey gained Kajal’s trust and took her to the Circuit House, considered the safest and most secure location in the city. At the Circuit House, the storyteller saint, his disciple, and several others were already present. Inside the premises, Kajal was raped by the saint. Attempts were made to silence her through threats and intimidation. Finding an opportunity, Kajal managed to escape and reached the police station with the help of two friends. Once the accused realised the matter had been exposed, they went into hiding. Soon after, the high-profile case dominated headlines across Madhya Pradesh. The incident, which occurred inside Rewa’s VIP Circuit House, exposed the dark reality hidden behind influence and religious authority. Serious questions were raised about how such a crime could take place at a high-security location, who the saint truly was—whose feet even leaders and ministers touched—and whether the law could punish such powerful accused. Read Part 2. Police action and the first big question Police acted swiftly on Kajal’s complaint. A named FIR was registered against nine people, including Saint Sitaram Das, history-sheeter Vinod Pandey, and his disciple Dhirendra Mishra. The foremost question before investigators was how a room could be booked in the city’s most secure guest house in the name of a notorious criminal. During the first phase of investigation, police examined the Circuit House register. Room number 4 was booked under the name of Vinod Pandey. The name was well known in Rewa’s criminal circles. Pandey was a history-sheeter with more than 36 serious cases registered against him, including murder, attempted murder, extortion and rape. He had spent several years in jail. Allowing such a person to stay at a VIP Circuit House exposed glaring lapses in administration and security. The investigation further revealed that Vinod Pandey was the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy. The real face behind the saffron robe Police attention then turned to the main accused—the ‘saint’ dressed in saffron. He was identified as Mahant Sitaram Das, also known as Samarth Tripathi. As his name surfaced, details of his past emerged. A resident of Gudh in Rewa, Sitaram had not even completed Class 12. His father worked as a security guard, while his mother ran a small tiffin service from home. Hoping for a better future, the family enrolled him in a polytechnic college in Bhopal, but he showed no interest in studies. After repeated failures, his parents took him to a well-known saint in Ayodhya. This marked the beginning of his journey into religious life. On September 7, 2020, he was appointed Mahant of a temple in Gonda. Soon after assuming the position, his intentions turned criminal. He set his sights on the temple trust’s 120 bighas of valuable land. Along with fellow sadhu Samrat Das, he hatched a conspiracy to seize it. He hired a professional shooter and arranged for Samrat Das himself to be shot. As planned, Samrat Das was injured and the blame was placed on a third person, Amar Singh. However, police unravelled the conspiracy within a week. Mahant Sitaram Das and his associates were arrested and sent to jail. The incident damaged his image severely, after which he returned to Rewa. Rebuilding influence through power circles Back in Rewa, Sitaram began a calculated effort to rebuild his image. He started associating with influential leaders, senior officials and known criminals. He ensured photographs with prominent saints and politicians circulated widely, using them as shields. Gradually, he projected himself as a powerful storyteller and religious figure. In April 2022, a discourse by his guru, renowned Ayodhya saint Ramvilas Vedanti, was scheduled during the inauguration of a large shopping mall in Rewa. Sitaram had arrived in the city on March 28 to oversee preparations and meet officials and public representatives. Vinod Pandey arranged his stay at the Circuit House. Once there, Sitaram revealed his true intentions. He demanded alcohol and a girl from Vinod. To fulfil this demand, Vinod Pandey targeted Kajal, a college student. A recorded phone conversation between Vinod and Kajal later exposed the full conspiracy. The call recording that revealed everything Vinod: Now that you’ve come this far, won’t you meet? Kajal: Then you come to meet me. Vinod: Beta, I don’t meet anyone on the road. You don’t know who I am. Kajal: Then what should we do? I’ve never gone anywhere alone. Vinod: Come, beta. I told you I’d get you a lehenga. Kajal: Just tell me, I’ll take it here. It’s late. I want to go home. Vinod: You stay home every day. Since you’ve come today, stay. You’ll have a grand presence. See the hoarding at Samdariya Gold? Kajal: Yes, yes. Vinod: The saint on that hoarding—his grandson is with me. Collector, SP, IG, minister, MLA—everyone touches his feet. I’ll introduce you. Start a high-level life. You keep saying you’ll go home. Kajal: It’s not about home. Where will we stay? Vinod: You’ll be thrilled once you see it. You’ll get a separate room. Using names of influential people and promising a better life, Vinod convinced Kajal to come to the Circuit House. Once there, she was locked inside a room, where the man posing as a saint assaulted her. Arrests and crucial evidence After the incident, the accused fled. Police formed multiple teams and tracked them using CCTV footage and call detail records. During his escape, Mahant Sitaram attempted to conceal his identity. Because of his long hair, he shaved his head. He had just reached a salon in Singrauli when police, acting on a tip-off, surrounded and arrested him. One by one, Vinod Pandey, Dhirendra Mishra, Anshul Mishra, Monu Payasi and Sanjay Tripathi were also taken into custody. All accused claimed innocence during interrogation. Sitaram alleged he was being framed. However, police possessed strong evidence, including a video courageously recorded by the victim. The video showed Sitaram drinking alcohol inside Room No. 4 of the Circuit House with three others. Dhirendra Mishra, wearing a black shirt, and Vinod Pandey, in a blue shirt, were clearly visible alongside Sitaram in saffron attire. Liquor bottles and food items were scattered on the table. Call records, location data and witness statements connected every link of the conspiracy—who called the victim, who arranged transport, who ordered alcohol, and who locked the room. Court verdict The case was tried in Rewa’s special POCSO court. Over nearly three years, the prosecution examined 22 witnesses and submitted 140 documents. Technical evidence, including DNA reports, CCTV footage, call records and the victim’s videos, strongly supported the charges. The court found Mahant Sitaram Das alias Samarth Tripathi, Vinod Pandey, Dhirendra Mishra, Anshul Mishra and Monu Payasi guilty of gang rape and related offences. All five were sentenced to life imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives, meaning imprisonment until death. Each was also fined Rs 1 lakh. Four other accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence. This included a woman accused of helping Sitaram while he was absconding. Investigators later found she was his fiancée and unaware of the crime. Sanjay Tripathi, Tausif Khan and Ravishankar Tripathi were also acquitted. Read Part-1 of MP Crime Files ‘Understand the feelings, nothing forced’:Baba clad in saffron robes raped minor inside Rewa Circuit House; lured her for blessings