Mathura/Bhubaneswar: A startling case of sexual exploitation and blackmail under the guise of spirituality has emerged from the Govardhan area of Mathura, where police have arrested a man posing as a ‘sadhu’ who allegedly used online religious discourses and bhajan-kirtan sessions to target educated young women employed in well-paying jobs, officials said Wednesday.
According to the police, the accused is a qualified mechanical engineer who allegedly lured women through spiritual gatherings, administered intoxicants to them, sexually assaulted them, and later blackmailed them using objectionable photographs and videos that he secretly recorded.
The case came to light after the sister of one of the victims, who was residing in a rented accommodation within the jurisdiction of the Govardhan police station, submitted a written complaint to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar.
As per the complaint, the victim is a native of Chhattisgarh and a third-semester B.Sc. Nursing student. She had travelled to Mathura on May 15 to celebrate her birthday with her sister, who was undergoing an internship at IOCL in the Radhakund area and was living as a tenant in the house owned by the alleged ‘sadhu’.
Investigators said the victim’s sister had come into contact with the accused, identified as Abhishek Mishra, through a local bhajan-kirtan group. On the night of May 15, the accused allegedly offered the victim a glass of milk, claiming it was ‘Prasad’.
Shortly after consuming the drink, the victim reportedly fell ill and lost consciousness. Police said the accused then allegedly subjected her to obscene acts while she was unconscious. When she attempted to resist, he allegedly threatened to kill her.
The victim later managed to leave the premises and returned to her home in Chhattisgarh, where she narrated the incident to her mother. However, fearing social stigma and public embarrassment, the family initially chose not to approach the authorities.
According to the complaint, the matter escalated when the accused allegedly contacted the victim through a video call and demanded Rs 5 lakh, threatening to circulate her private photographs on social media if the money was not paid.
Following the alleged extortion attempt, the victim informed her father about the entire incident. He subsequently brought her to Mathura and approached the SSP, detailing the allegations. Acting on the complaint, police registered a case at Govardhan police station on May 25 and launched an investigation.
As the probe progressed, investigators uncovered what they described as a broader pattern of similar offences. Police said preliminary findings indicated that the accused had allegedly targeted several other women using a similar modus operandi. Following these revelations, officers contacted the families of other alleged victims to gather additional information.
Police identified the accused as Abhishek Mishra, originally from Odisha, who completed a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Roorkee in 2021.
After graduation, he reportedly secured employment with a company offering an annual salary package of around Rs 20 lakh. However, he later resigned from the position and had been residing in a rented house in Radhakund, Govardhan, for the last three years.
Investigators said Mishra, who also operated under the name Adhikarta Narayan Das, allegedly leveraged online spiritual discourses and religious outreach programmes to attract educated women, particularly those employed in major corporate firms with substantial salary packages.
Police allege that after establishing trust, he would invite women to his residence, administer intoxicating substances, sexually exploit them, and secretly record photographs and videos. These materials were then allegedly used to extort money from the victims.
According to investigators, the funds allegedly obtained through blackmail were used by the accused to purchase property in Radhakund, where he also established what he described as an ‘ashram’.
Speaking to IANS, SP (Rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat said a police team arrested Abhishek Mishra from his residence in Radhakund on Monday evening. During the operation, police also rescued two young women and a young boy from the premises. Officials said all three have been sent to a de-addiction centre for treatment and counselling.
The investigation further revealed that the accused allegedly facilitated so-called Gandharva marriages, informal unions based on mutual consent, between educated young men and women. Police claim that after arranging such relationships, he would allegedly manipulate the women through psychological influence and establish physical relationships with them.
Officials said the accused primarily targeted women with technical and professional backgrounds, particularly B.Tech graduates employed by multinational companies. During searches, police recovered more than a dozen objectionable photographs and videos involving different young men and women from the accused’s mobile phone.
Police said the accused remains in custody and is being interrogated. Investigators are examining additional aspects of the case, including the possibility of more victims and the wider network of activities allegedly operated from the so-called ashram.
IANS
