In a major crackdown on fraudulent spiritual operations, Pune City Police have dismantled a horrific exploitation racket running from a hidden subterranean bunker. Officials confirmed on Thursday that a self-styled godman and seven of his primary associates have been arrested for allegedly subjecting an IT professional to years of physical torture, financial extortion, and severe sexual assault under the guise of wielding supernatural powers.
The primary accused, identified as 59-year-old Radha Mohan Mishra, allegedly established a heavily fortified, underground ashram structure in Wagholi’s Ubale Nagar area. Operating away from public scrutiny, Mishra portrayed himself as a divine incarnation capable of resolving complex life crises. Law enforcement officials revealed that of the seven accomplices taken into custody alongside the cult leader, six are women, highlighting a deeply coordinated internal matrix used to entrap, manipulate, and systematically break down vulnerable followers.
“The scale of psychological manipulation and physical depravity uncovered inside the subterranean bunker is deeply disturbing. The suspects weaponised the victim’s spiritual vulnerabilities to execute a multi-year cycle of absolute control and extortion."
The intervention by a specialised crime branch team followed an extensive preliminary inquiry triggered by a detailed complaint from the victim. According to the police, the woman was subjected to prolonged periods of severe physical and mental abuse inside the Wagholi bunker. To enforce total compliance and suppress any resistance, the cult members allegedly administered agonising electric shocks to the victim and forced her to consume the godman’s urine as part of highly manipulative “cleansing" rituals.
Simultaneously, the operation served as a lucrative financial extortion racket. A separate case registered at the Kharadi Police Station reveals that Mishra and his network systematically targeted the victim and her family, extracting lakhs of rupees over several years. By systematically instilling intense psychological fear regarding active curses, black magic, and supernatural threats, the group successfully coerced the family into handing over their life savings under the pretext of performing expensive spiritual remedies.
Following the midnight raid and successful rescue operation, senior police officials confirmed that the underground ashram has been sealed. The law enforcement machinery has heavily intensified its focus on reviewing digital devices, ledger books, and bank accounts linked to the cult to map out the full extent of their illicitly accumulated wealth.
With several other women rescued from the Wagholi compound currently undergoing detailed medical examinations and psychological counselling, investigators suspect that the group’s predatory operations extend far wider than a single household. The Pune City Police have issued a formal appeal urging any citizens who may have been similarly defrauded or abused by the network to step forward, promising absolute anonymity as the state moves to ensure a watertight prosecution against the syndicate.
Source: News18