Gujarat: Self-styled guru booked for ‘raping’ minor repeatedly over years

In 2015, when she was 16 years old, three women disciples of Upadhyay took her to his room, the complainant said. There Upadhyay gave her a tablet, which he said was a mouth freshner, that rendered her unconscious. He then raped her and later threatened to release her nude pictures on the social media, the complainant said.

Upadhyay was earlier arrested on charges of cheating and threatening a woman. He is also facing another alleged rape case, also registered at Gotri police station.

In the latest case, Upadhyay has been booked under various sections of the IPC for rape and criminal intimidation as well as Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act as the victim was a minor when the alleged crime was committed.

In February, a businessman, Devraj Pandaya, was the first to allege that Upadhyay duped him of Rs 21.80 lakh on the pretext of reviving his business through various rituals and prayers. Four other persons also came forward alleging that Upadhyay had duped them. A week later, a woman too registered a complaint against Upadhyay and two of his aides for threatening her when she had held the “guru” responsible after her son went missing for more than two years. Upadhyay was arrested on February 24.