Swami Premananda of Trichy
Encyclopedia
Premananda is the monastic name of ....... who ran an Ashram
in the Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu
, India.
Born in Matale
, Sri Lanka
, to a family originally from India
, he showed spiritual inclination from an early age and, by the age of 17, stated that his goal in life was to show the existence of God to as many people as he possibly could in his lifetime. He dedicated his life to serving humanity and alleviating suffering. He started an ashram in Matale in 1972, taking in orphans and unwanted children. During the ethnic riots of 1983 he moved to Tamil Nadu, accompanied by some of the devotees and orphans. A new ashram near Tiruchirapally (Trichy) was inaugurated in 1989. Several hundred destitute children lived and were educated in the ashram.
However, allegations concerning his inappropriate behavior towards the girls in the Ashram soon surfaced. After an investigation in 1997, he was convicted on several counts of rape
, possession of unauthorized foreign exchange and a single count of murder. Six others including an elderly uncle of Premananda, Mayilvaganam Pakkirisamy, were co-accused in the case. Pakkirisamy was sentenced to life in prison but died in 2011. He appealed the judgement to the Supreme Court of India but his conviction for rape and murder was upheld. Premananda was serving a double life sentence before his death.
According to his devotees as well as eminent lawyer and former Law minister of India, Ram Jethmalani
, the judgement is highly controversial.
One of the world's top genetics experts, Dr. Wilson J. Wall, has stated: "Someone is trying to set up Swami Premananda. The DNA case is a fabrication from start to finish. This deception throws a terrible shadow over validity of DNA fingerprinting if now there are scientists who are prepared to use it to find the innocent guilty."
Swami Premananda himself has stated:
"I have never committed any crime. I have surrendered totally to the Divine. Truth will ultimately win."
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in the Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India.
Born in Matale
Matale
Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka, from Colombo and from Kandy. It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of Matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006....
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, to a family originally from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, he showed spiritual inclination from an early age and, by the age of 17, stated that his goal in life was to show the existence of God to as many people as he possibly could in his lifetime. He dedicated his life to serving humanity and alleviating suffering. He started an ashram in Matale in 1972, taking in orphans and unwanted children. During the ethnic riots of 1983 he moved to Tamil Nadu, accompanied by some of the devotees and orphans. A new ashram near Tiruchirapally (Trichy) was inaugurated in 1989. Several hundred destitute children lived and were educated in the ashram.
However, allegations concerning his inappropriate behavior towards the girls in the Ashram soon surfaced. After an investigation in 1997, he was convicted on several counts of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, possession of unauthorized foreign exchange and a single count of murder. Six others including an elderly uncle of Premananda, Mayilvaganam Pakkirisamy, were co-accused in the case. Pakkirisamy was sentenced to life in prison but died in 2011. He appealed the judgement to the Supreme Court of India but his conviction for rape and murder was upheld. Premananda was serving a double life sentence before his death.
According to his devotees as well as eminent lawyer and former Law minister of India, Ram Jethmalani
Ram Jethmalani
Ram Jethmalani, : राम जेठ्मलानी,: رام جيٺملاڻي born 14 September 1923, in Shikharpur in Sindh, British India) is an Indian lawyer and politician. He has served in various posts such as Union Law Minister and Chairman of Bar Associations...
, the judgement is highly controversial.
One of the world's top genetics experts, Dr. Wilson J. Wall, has stated: "Someone is trying to set up Swami Premananda. The DNA case is a fabrication from start to finish. This deception throws a terrible shadow over validity of DNA fingerprinting if now there are scientists who are prepared to use it to find the innocent guilty."
Swami Premananda himself has stated:
"I have never committed any crime. I have surrendered totally to the Divine. Truth will ultimately win."