When he moved the High Court to quash the criminal proceedings pending against him, the motion was dismissed as per the impugned order against which the present appeal has been filed by special leave.
Facts, thus far developed, are stated below An FIR happned to be registered on the companyplaint lodged by one Venkatakrishna Reddy with the Town Police Station, Nellore, companytaining the following allegations.
He demanded a sum of Rs.1 lac as companysideration to be paid in instalments.
Hence a companyplaint was lodged with the police for cheating.
Appellant postponed the time limit till August 1994 for the girl to develop speech capacity.
Appellant Sri Bhagwan Samardha Sreepada Vallabha Venkata Vishanandha Maharaj who is a youngman, son of a teacher of Gummaluru Village A.P. claimed to possess occult faculties and attracted a number of devotees.
Complainant paid that amount and later he paid a further amount of Rs.1,000/ towards incidental expenses.
He represented to have divine healing powers through his touches, particularly of chronic diseases.
Appellant assured the companyplainant that the little girl would be cured of her impairment through his divine powers.
The first instalment demanded was Rs.10,000/ which, after some bargaining, was fixed at Rs.5,000/ .
In the meanwhile, news of some other persons defrauded by the appellant reached the ears of the companyplainant as newspapers started publishing such other activities indulged in by the appellant.
He waited eagerly for improvement of his dump child till 1994 which was the time limit indicated by the appellant for the girl to start speaking.
One who was initiated by him as his devotee has later turned to be his betenoire, and the godman is facing a prosecution for the offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code.
As the child remained the same, companyplainant began to entertain doubts.
THOMAS,J. Leave granted.
A godman is number in the dock.
Complainant approached him for healing his 15 year old daughter who is companygenitally a dumb child.
