### **Justice Served: How a ‘Katha Vachak’ and His Accomplice Were Sentenced to Life for the Abduction and Gang-Rape of a Minor**
**SAGAR, MADHYA PRADESH** – A harrowing saga of betrayal and violence that shook the Sagar region has finally reached its legal conclusion. Three years after a 17-year-old girl, Neha (name changed), was abducted and held captive for months, a local court has sentenced two men—including a self-styled religious storyteller—to life imprisonment for kidnapping and gang-rape.
#### **The Disappearance**
The ordeal began on the night of February 13, 2023, when Neha vanished from her home. Her father, Dinesh, initially searched among relatives and acquaintances, but when all leads failed, he filed a missing person’s report with the police.
For three months, the family lived in anguish. The silence was finally broken on June 1, 2023, when Dinesh received a desperate call from an unknown number. “Papa, please save me,” Neha pleaded. She revealed she had been held captive in a room for months and subjected to repeated sexual assault.
#### **A Network of Deceit**
Police traced the call’s location and rescued the teenager, uncovering a chilling conspiracy. The investigation pointed to two primary suspects: Radhe and Govind Das, a *Katha Vachak* (religious storyteller) who had been conducting *Bhagwat Katha* sessions in the victim’s village.
According to the investigation, the two men had groomed the minor during the religious gatherings. On the night of February 13, under the guise of meeting near a local temple, they forcibly abducted the girl, drugging and kidnapping her on a motorcycle.
#### **A Trail of Captivity**
The perpetrators moved the victim across multiple cities to evade detection. Their first stop was a hotel in Orchha. When they sensed the family was closing in, they shifted her to a rented house in Lalitpur, where she was held for two months. She was later moved to Jhansi.
Throughout this period, Neha was kept under constant surveillance. The accused would lock her in rooms while they went about their daily routines, occasionally denying her food and subjecting her to systematic abuse. The victim revealed to police that the accused had threatened to harm her parents if she attempted to escape or alert anyone.
#### **The Turning Point**
The breakthrough came when Radhe carelessly left his mobile phone behind in their locked room. Seizing the opportunity, Neha contacted her father, providing the crucial lead that allowed law enforcement to track her down and apprehend the suspects.
#### **The Verdict**
During the trial, the defense argued that the victim had left with the accused of her own volition, claiming a consensual relationship. However, the court rejected these claims, citing the victim’s minor status at the time of the crime and the overwhelming evidence gathered during the investigation.
In July 2026, the court found both Govind Das and Radhe guilty of kidnapping and gang-rape, handing down a sentence of life imprisonment.
This case serves as a grim reminder of the abuse of trust, where the sanctity of a religious platform was weaponized to carry out a brutal crime against a minor. The sentencing brings a measure of closure to the victim and her family, marking an end to a three-year quest for justice.
