A 65-year-old British Hindu cult leader, Rajinder Kalia, has been accused of raping four devotees, telling them he is “an incarnation of God” at the Baba Balak Nath temple in Bell Green, a suburban area in Coventry, West Midlands, England.
The allegations were made in a multi-million-pound civil case filed at the High Court in March 2021 after the West Midlands Police investigated allegations of sexual abuse. Four women are now seeking damages.
Kalia is accused of using his power and influence to groom worshippers as young as four.
One of the victims, named Serena, described how from the age of 4, she was told to bow at Kalia’s feet, and he would hug and kiss her in “a highly inappropriate fashion,” The Times reported.
She further alleged that in her 20s, Kalia told her that sex acts are “a manner of worship of God”.
Another victim, Sharon, alleged she was molested at 16 and then raped as an adult. She said that she was warned that she would be “damned to hell, and horrifically disabled in all future lives” if she did not follow the guru’s orders.
“I think he believes he is God,” Sharon said, as cited by The Times added.
YouTube videos and social media posts show followers kissing Kalia’s feet as he sat on a “throne.” He allegedly indoctrinated all his followers into believing that he was "all-powerful, all-seeing and all-knowing".
In 2017, police dropped rape charges against him due to lack of evidence. Since then, he has ostensibly instructed his followers to harass those who speak out against him.
All four victims who filed complaint against him, are no longer members of the Coventry temple.
One of the victims has alleged that she was threatened with acid attacks, the Daily Mail reported, while the tyres of another follower were allegedly slashed after she spoke out against the guru. She also claimed to have lost £1.1 million ($1.35 million) to the preacher due to his hold over his partner and her, the news outlet added.
Meanwhile, Kalia denied all the allegations in the court.
The Baba Balak Nath temple, set up in 1986, had a website in which Kalia claimed to be a miracle worker.