Ending a months-long manhunt, the Bihar Police have arrested Shravan Das, a religious figure accused of the prolonged sexual exploitation of a minor in Darbhanga. The arrest was executed by an SIT following a tip-off about his whereabouts in the Housing Board area. Shravan Das had been a fugitive since December, when a formal complaint was lodged against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The case has highlighted the vulnerability of families who place blind faith in religious figures without verifying their backgrounds.
The timeline of the crime suggests a deeply planned strategy. The accused first approached the victim’s family in June 2023 under the pretext of religious discourse. By winning the mother’s trust, he gained entry into their private lives. In February 2024, he became a tenant in their house, which provided him with the opportunity to target the minor. The victim alleged that the abuse began in early March and was characterized by coercion and false emotional manipulation. She was also reportedly forced into a state of pregnancy twice, only to be subjected to dangerous self-administered abortions orchestrated by the accused.
SIT head Rajiv Kumar stated that the arrest is just the first step in a comprehensive investigation. The police are currently analyzing the mobile records of the accused and his associates to establish the full extent of the conspiracy. There are concerns that other individuals, including a person known as Mouni Baba, may have played a role in facilitating the preacher’s access to the family or in attempting to suppress the matter once it became known. The Darbhanga police have assured the public that the victim is receiving the necessary medical and psychological support as the legal battle begins.