Hindu Temple Leader Accused Of Raping Young Devotees, Claims He’s God

A 65-year-old British Hindu temple leader who reportedly claims to be a god on earth has been accused of raping four young devotees, according to a civil lawsuit filed in London's High Court last month.

Former members of Rajinder Kalia's Baba Balak Nath temple accused the guru of exerting "undue influence" to sexually abuse and financially exploit devotees, the Times of London reported, citing court documents. The temple leader allegedly groomed worshippers as young as 4 years old at his temple in Coventry, England.

The lawsuit alleged Kalia claimed to be "an incarnation of God and or the divine" and that he was "all-powerful, all, seeing and all-knowing." He persuaded followers to believe he was a "healer and miracle worker," with a going rate of £12,000 ($16,700) per person, the U.K. Times reported.

One of the alleged victims, identified as Serena, said she was between the ages of 4 and 6 when Kalia hugged and kissed her "in a highly inappropriate fashion" after she was told to bow at his feet, the media outlet said. Kalia allegedly told her when she was in her 20s that sexual acts were "a manner of worship of God" and used "spiritual justification" to force her into having sex with him.

Serena and three other women reported the allegations to authorities in 2017 and urged the Crown Prosecution Service to take the case. West Midlands police attempted to charge Kalia with criminal offenses following the reports, but the case was dropped in the same year over insufficient evidence.

After the case was dropped, Kalia returned to the temple and reportedly instructed followers to launch an "onslaught of harassment" against those who spoke out against him. Followers allegedly resorted to threats of violence, vandalism and defamation against their victims, the U.K. outlet said.

Another accuser, Asha, said she was "powerless to resist demands" when told to "bow down" to Kalia when she was 11, per the report. The guru allegedly sexually assaulted Asha multiple times as a teenager and ordered her to have sex with him when she was 21. Kalia reportedly "sought to control every aspect" of Asha's life and turned her into an "unpaid servant."

Kalia also allegedly told one of the victims, Sharon, that she would be "damned to hell and horrifically disabled in all future lives" if she did not follow the temple leader's orders, the report added. Sharon claimed she was sexually assaulted when she was 16 and later raped as an adult.

"We believed him, we were in awe," Sharon said in the filings. "He doesn't use scriptures or holy books. It is all from him, all about him. I think he believes he is God."

Sabi, the last of the accusers, alleged she was sexually assaulted and raped after she turned to the temple to cope with her divorce and depression.

"I was so absorbed and truly started to believe he was God. I lost touch with friends and became very distant from my family. I never realized I was in a cult until 23 years later. It’s had the most devastating impact on my life too many to put into words. I am still lost," Sabi said.

Apart from the four accusers, a man and a woman also alleged that they lost £1.1 million ($1.5 million) to Kalia. Another woman was seeking £520,000 ($724,000) over similar claims.