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Indian police hunt for holy man accused of kidnapping female disciple - Times Online March 8 2010
Police are hunting for a Hindu holy man who allegedly kidnapped a 27-year-old disciple after she refused to marry him.
It is the third scandal involving an Indian swami or self-styled spiritual leader in the past two weeks.
Police in the northern city of Ghaziabad registered a case on Saturday against Anup Kumar Sahai for allegedly kidnapping Priyanka Srivastava, an MBA graduate believed to be suffering from depression.
Mr Sahai, who heads the Centre for Excellence in Vedic Vangmay Research and Development Foundation, had asked Ms Srivastava to marry him, even though he already has a wife and a seven-year-old daughter, according to police.
When she refused he offered her family 10 million rupees (£145,000) to force her to agree and threatened to kidnap her when they refused, the police said.
The family said that Ms Srivastava disappeared after going to buy milk on February 15.
Swamis have been revered in India for thousands of years, originally as leaders of Hindu religious schools or sects. Some of them claim millions of followers and have become rich from donations.
A series of recent scandals have prompted calls for stronger legislation and tighter government regulation to expose charlatans and sex offenders.
Last week villagers ransacked the headquarters of one of Indias most famous swamis after local television stations broadcast footage that appeared to show him in bed with two women.
Paramhamsa Nityananda, whose Life Bliss Foundation claims two million followers in 33 countries, says that the footage was fake but he has apparently gone into hiding.
The week before Delhi police arrested another Hindu guru on suspicion of using his ashram as a front for a high-class prostitution racket involving airline hostesses and college girls.
Police are hunting for a Hindu holy man who allegedly kidnapped a 27-year-old disciple after she refused to marry him.
It is the third scandal involving an Indian swami or self-styled spiritual leader in the past two weeks.
Police in the northern city of Ghaziabad registered a case on Saturday against Anup Kumar Sahai for allegedly kidnapping Priyanka Srivastava, an MBA graduate believed to be suffering from depression.
Mr Sahai, who heads the Centre for Excellence in Vedic Vangmay Research and Development Foundation, had asked Ms Srivastava to marry him, even though he already has a wife and a seven-year-old daughter, according to police.
When she refused he offered her family 10 million rupees (£145,000) to force her to agree and threatened to kidnap her when they refused, the police said.
The family said that Ms Srivastava disappeared after going to buy milk on February 15.
Swamis have been revered in India for thousands of years, originally as leaders of Hindu religious schools or sects. Some of them claim millions of followers and have become rich from donations.
A series of recent scandals have prompted calls for stronger legislation and tighter government regulation to expose charlatans and sex offenders.
Last week villagers ransacked the headquarters of one of Indias most famous swamis after local television stations broadcast footage that appeared to show him in bed with two women.
Paramhamsa Nityananda, whose Life Bliss Foundation claims two million followers in 33 countries, says that the footage was fake but he has apparently gone into hiding.
The week before Delhi police arrested another Hindu guru on suspicion of using his ashram as a front for a high-class prostitution racket involving airline hostesses and college girls.
