The famed “Falahari Baba” in Rajasthan has been charged with raping a 21-year-old woman at his ashram.
Kaushlendra Prapannacharya Falahari Maharaj, 70, is in a private hospital in Alwar over “high blood pressure”. A police team searching for him tracked him down to the hospital and are now waiting to be allowed to speak to him.
I was supposed to be in Kerala this week — partly for personal reasons, partly to meet with some local journalists and grassroots politicians from both sides of the divide to gain some sense of what is going on in my home state. Torrential rains and a landslide blocking NH17 along the Thamarasherry stretch of the Ghat road caused a postponement, but news from there continues to stream through my email box. Like, so:
#1. Students Federation of India goons attack policemen attempting to prevent them from clashing with a rival group. Nine suspects have been booked in the case, under Section 332, causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty. (more stringent clauses, relating to assault, attempt to murder etc would be a more effective statement).
Smoke Signals 