A self-styled spiritual guru who claimed to offer religious guidance and personal mentorship has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district for allegedly drugging, sexually exploiting and blackmailing women, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Abhishek Mishra alias Adikarta Narayan Das, 29, was arrested from his ashram-like residence in Radha Kund on Monday. During the operation, police also rescued two young women and a man from the premises and handed them over to their families.
The case came to light after a 22-year-old BSc Nursing student from Chhattisgarh filed a complaint at the Govardhan police station on May 25.
According to the complaint, the woman had travelled to Mathura to visit her elder sister, who was undergoing training with a public sector oil company and was associated with Mishra’s religious group. The complainant alleged that the accused offered her milk, claiming it was “prasad”, which allegedly contained an intoxicating substance.
She told police that after consuming the drink, she lost consciousness and was subsequently sexually assaulted. The accused allegedly recorded obscene photographs and videos of her during the incident.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Singh said the accused later threatened the victim and allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh, warning that the videos would be circulated if she failed to pay.
Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation.
During searches, investigators reportedly recovered more than a dozen obscene photographs of different men and women from the accused’s mobile phone. Preliminary findings suggest that Mishra used YouTube and other social media platforms to deliver online spiritual discourses and attract followers.
Police suspect he specifically targeted educated women, including engineers, students and professionals working in major companies, before allegedly exploiting and blackmailing them.
During interrogation, Mishra reportedly claimed that he graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee around five years ago and had worked at a private company with an annual salary package of ₹20 lakh before moving to Mathura. He allegedly began conducting spiritual activities from rented premises before purchasing a house in Radha Kund.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat said the accused has been sent to judicial custody and further legal proceedings are underway.
Police are now conducting a detailed investigation into Mishra’s background, his activities, and the possibility of additional victims linked to the case.
