Fraudulent Sadhu Arrested for Sexual Exploitation in Mathura

Shocking Case of Exploitation in Mathura

Mathura, June 3: A disturbing incident of sexual exploitation and blackmail disguised as spirituality has surfaced in the Govardhan region of Mathura. Authorities have apprehended a man impersonating a ‘sadhu’ who allegedly exploited educated young women through online religious sessions and bhajan-kirtan gatherings, as reported by officials on Wednesday.

As per police reports, the suspect, a trained mechanical engineer, allegedly enticed women by hosting spiritual events, where he would administer drugs, sexually assault them, and subsequently blackmail them with compromising photos and videos he recorded without their consent.

The situation came to light when the sister of one victim, residing in a rented space under the jurisdiction of the Govardhan police, filed a formal complaint with Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar.

The victim, a B.Sc. Nursing student from Chhattisgarh, had traveled to Mathura on May 15 to celebrate her birthday with her sister, who was interning at IOCL in the Radhakund area and was renting a room in the house owned by the accused ‘sadhu’.

Investigators revealed that the victim's sister met the accused, identified as Abhishek Mishra, through a local bhajan-kirtan group. On the night of May 15, he allegedly offered the victim a glass of milk, claiming it was ‘Prasad’.

After consuming the drink, the victim reportedly fell ill and lost consciousness. Police stated that the accused then subjected her to indecent acts while she was incapacitated. When she attempted to resist, he allegedly threatened her life.

After managing to escape, the victim returned to Chhattisgarh and disclosed the incident to her mother. However, due to fear of social stigma, the family initially refrained from reporting the matter to the authorities.

The situation escalated when the accused contacted the victim via video call, demanding Rs 5 lakh and threatening to share her private images on social media if she did not comply.

Following this extortion attempt, the victim informed her father, who then took her back to Mathura to report the incident to the SSP. Acting on the complaint, police registered a case at the Govardhan police station on May 25 and initiated an investigation.

As the investigation unfolded, authorities discovered a pattern of similar offenses. Preliminary findings suggested that the accused had targeted multiple women using the same tactics. Police reached out to the families of other potential victims to gather further information.

The suspect, Abhishek Mishra, originally from Odisha, graduated with a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Roorkee in 2021. After securing a job with a company offering an annual salary of around Rs 20 lakh, he resigned and had been living in a rented house in Radhakund for the past three years.

Mishra, who also went by the name Adhikarta Narayan Das, allegedly used online spiritual discourses to attract educated women, particularly those working in high-paying corporate jobs.

Once trust was established, he would invite these women to his home, administer intoxicants, sexually exploit them, and secretly record the incidents. These recordings were then allegedly used to extort money from the victims.

Investigators noted that the money obtained through blackmail was reportedly used by the accused to purchase property in Radhakund, where he set up what he referred to as an ‘ashram’.

SP (Rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat confirmed that a police team arrested Abhishek Mishra at his residence in Radhakund on Monday evening. During the operation, authorities rescued two young women and a boy from the premises, all of whom have been sent to a de-addiction center for treatment and counseling.

Further investigation revealed that the accused facilitated informal unions, known as Gandharva marriages, between educated young men and women. Police allege that after arranging these relationships, he would manipulate the women psychologically and engage in physical relationships with them.

Officials indicated that the accused primarily targeted women with technical and professional backgrounds, especially B.Tech graduates from multinational companies. During searches, police recovered numerous objectionable photographs and videos involving various young men and women from the accused’s mobile device.

The accused remains in custody and is currently being interrogated. Investigators are exploring additional aspects of the case, including the potential for more victims and the broader network of activities allegedly operated from the so-called ashram.