The yoga guru, who was arrested last week, misled people in the name of faith and Ayurveda, said investigators.
Surat: Just days after Ahmedabad cops dismantled a massive fake currency network operating out of a spiritual ashram in Surat, murky details about the ashram run by the so-called ‘Yoga Guru’, Pradeep Jotangiya, popularly known as Pradeep Guruji, have emerged.
The racket was being operated from the ‘Shree Satya Yog Foundation’ ashram in Dhoran Pardi village, Kamrej Taluka, Surat district. Over 40,000 counterfeit notes in Rs 500 denominations were recovered.
The yoga guru, who was arrested last week, misled people in the name of faith and Ayurveda, said investigators. He now finds himself at the center of grave allegations: from extorting hefty sums under the pretext of helping people conceive, to trafficking in counterfeit medicines and the revelation of scandalous videos.
Through high walls and restricted access, the ashram ensured that the outside world remained entirely oblivious to the reality unfolding within.
Investigations have revealed that this self-styled guru used to extort sums ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 from people under the guise of facilitating conception. Unsuspecting individuals were lured in with claims of ‘miraculous Ayurvedic medicines’, whereas, in reality, they were handed counterfeit and substandard drugs, said police sources.
Special camps were organised under the pretext of prenatal spiritual rituals, manipulating people, said sources.
Ayurvedic medicines from reputed brands were purchased from the market and replaced with the guru’s own concocted, substandard drugs, investigators said. Subsequently, these counterfeit medicines were sold at exorbitant markups, thereby defrauding the public.
Another disturbing aspect of the case came to light when the fraudulent guru was accused of displaying a minor in a semi-nude state while ostensibly imparting knowledge regarding the ‘Sushumna Nadi’, a central energy channel in yogic philosophy, in a now viral video. The video is not only a violation of the law but also raises serious questions regarding morality.
People from far-flung regions would visit the ashram to seek solution to their problems.
Source: NDTV
