Provided by AFP Indian spiritual guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim -- seen here on January 5, 2015 -- heads the Dera Sacha Sauda organisation based in Haryana state. <\/p>\n
Indian police said they are investigating a popular self-styled godman for allegedly encouraging 400 followers to undergo castrations at his ashram so they could get closer to god. <\/p>\n
The country's top crime fighting agency has registered a case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, known as the \"guru in bling\" for his penchant for garish clothes and jewellery, over the operations in the country's north. <\/p>\n
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said in a statement late Wednesday Rahim is being investigated for criminal intimidation and causing grievous bodily hurt, saying 400 castrations were allegedly carried out. <\/p>\n
The guru, who heads the Dera Sacha Sauda organisation based in Haryana state, is already facing trial for conspiracy over the murder of a journalist in 2002 along with claims of sexually exploiting female followers. <\/p>\n
The latest case was filed after one of his devotees, Hans Raj Chauhan, lodged a complaint in court alleging he was manipulated into having the \"painful\" operation at the ashram. <\/p>\n
\"They were told that only those who get castrated will be able to meet god,\" Chauhan's lawyer, Navkiran Singh, told AFP on Thursday. <\/p>\n
\"We will put all the facts of the case to the court and seek compensation for the victims.\" <\/p>\n
He said doctors carried out the castrations over a period from 2000, but for years his client had been too scared to come forward. <\/p>\n
The court asked the CBI to undergo an investigation into the alleged castrations. <\/p>\n
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India police probe godman over alleged castration of 400 followers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Provided by AFP Indian spiritual guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim -- seen here on January 5, 2015 -- heads the Dera Sacha Sauda organisation based in Haryana state. Indian police said they are investigating a popular self-styled godman for allegedly encouraging 400 followers to undergo castrations at his ashram so they could get closer to god. The country's top crime fighting agency has registered a case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, known as the \"guru in bling\" for his penchant for garish clothes and jewellery, over the operations in the country's north. Continue reading