Delhi: Fake “Godman” held in sex racket

It seems the easiest thing to take the gullible, spiritually inclined masses on a ride in India, is to wear holy saffron clothes, sport long hair and a flowing beard. There is a case everyday of fake religious gurus with high connections, minting money and having a good time with pretty actresses and models.

There is a “Swami” Nityananda, the hot news in Chennai, in every city of the country preying on women. Nityananda is now reportedly on the run after a TV channel showed clippings of him in bedroom with an actress. His angry followers went on rampage in Karnataka, ransacked his ashrams and pulled down his hoardings on Wednesday.

The Capital, New Delhi is no exception and has its own Nityananda. The sexploits of Godman Shiv Murat Dwivedi, 39, arrested last week are more gripping than any sleazy movie.

Investigations have revealed stunning facts. It has now come out that the fake Swami ran a flesh racket worth Rs 2,000 crore in the guise of spirituality.

He was arrested from South Delhi’s PVR Multiplex with six sex workers while trying to strike a deal. The women aged between 19 and 30 included airhostesses, one with an Indian carrier and another who was employed by an European airline and a management student.

Popular as Ichchhadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand, Dwivedi, has been involved in the racket for 10 years, allegedly with the help of political patrons. Police said more than 200 women, including students, airhostesses and housewives, worked for him. The phoney guru allegedly sent sex workers to five star hotels. He owns properties across the city. The police also impounded a Honda City and a Honda Civic from him.

During the raid at Dwivedi’s ashram near Mehrauli, the police unearthed tunnels that led into rooms. Six diaries found in the farmhouse blew the lid off his dealings. The diary had names and earnings of sex workers. Assuming the name Jia Patel on the Internet, Dwivedi had assumed six aliases.

A resident of Chitrakoot in UP, Dwivedi had come to Delhi in 1988. “After working as a security guard for a hotel, he landed a job in a massage parlour where he built his contacts,” according to DCP (South) H.G.S. Dhaliwal. “Analysis of his diaries reveals that he had done transactions worth Rs 2,000 crore.”

Dwivedi conducted his flesh trade from rented houses in South Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave and Mohammadpur. “He led a dual life. He was never caught as he operated smoothly. Dwivedi used to give sermons and write spiritual articles in magazines,” said the police officer. Dwivedi even got built a 200-bed hospital in Chitrakoot to strengthen his credentials.

Dwivedi was reportedly planning to dupe a United States -based missionary. Police are contemplating booking Dwivedi, under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). One of the seven diaries recovered from Dwivedi's possession revealed he had approached a Las-Vegas based missionary and was planning to dupe them after taking a loan of Rs 2,500 crore from them, police said.

- Asian Tribune -