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A prominent spiritual narrator based in Vrindavan and Mahamandaleshwar of the Niranjani Akhada, Swami Indradev Maharaj, has been named in a criminal complaint alleging sexual exploitation, digital harassment, and intimidation. Acting on a complaint filed by a 42-year-old woman from Maharashtra, police at the Kashimira station in the Mira-Bhayandar jurisdiction registered a Zero FIR. Because the primary offenses cited by the complainant allegedly occurred at the Sevadham Ashram in Vrindavan, the jurisdictional investigation and related case materials are being transferred to the Uttar Pradesh Police for formal verification and further procedural action.
Complainant Details Alleged Assault and Subsequent Harassment
The complainant stated that she initially came into contact with the preacher in 2023 after watching his religious discourses on social media platforms. Following these online interactions, she attended a spiritual congregation organized in the Santacruz area of Mumbai, where she formally received religious initiation from him. According to the complaint, the spiritual preacher gained her trust by assuring her that he could resolve her personal and familial problems, subsequently prompting her to travel to the Sevadham Ashram in Vrindavan accompanied by her two daughters.
The woman alleged that during her stay at the ashram, she was called into his personal quarters, where the door was secured and she was subjected to forced sexual assault. In an alternative account mentioned in related reports, she cited the date of the incident as November 4, 2025, claiming she was summoned under the pretext of receiving traditional pulse diagnosis and medical treatment. The complaint further stated that after returning to Maharashtra, she was subjected to persistent harassment via video calls, during which she was allegedly forced into objectionable activities while being threatened with social humiliation and physical harm.
Unverified Audio Recording Emerges as Social Activist Intervenes
The controversy gained public attention following the direct intervention of social activist Trupti Desai, president of the Bhumata Brigade, who addressed a press conference in Pune demanding immediate legal proceedings against the preacher. The Zero FIR subsequently registered at the Kashimira police station invoked relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita governing sexual offenses and criminal intimidation. In parallel, an alleged audio clip surfaced on social media platforms purportedly capturing an objectionable conversation between a man and a woman, though the recording remains subject to forensic evaluation.
Indradev Maharaj has publicly denied all allegations, describing the complaint as completely baseless and characterizing it as a calculated attempt at financial extortion. While the circulated audio continues to draw public debate, law enforcement agencies have not yet issued formal verification regarding its origin, voice identification, or contextual accuracy. Comprehensive police scrutiny will require forensic testing of the digital files alongside corroboration of the caller records and the complainant’s detailed deposition before the investigating magistrate.
Akhada Council Awaits Official Findings Before Organisational Review
The allegations have prompted official reactions across prominent monastic institutions, with the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad confirming that it is actively monitoring developments. Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of the council and general secretary of the Niranjani Akhada, stated that any definitive organisational or legal action against Indradev Maharaj would be considered only after reviewing the formal inquiry report from the police. The council reiterated that internal disciplinary decisions would depend entirely on the evidentiary findings established during the official investigation.
Simultaneously, questions regarding the preacher’s monastic credentials were raised by Mahant Shankaranand Saraswati, president of the Anand Akhada, who asserted that Indradev had not received formal monastic initiation from their institution. The religious body noted that he was initially designated as a religious teacher before receiving the title of Mahamandaleshwar from the Niranjani Akhada. With the case transitioning to Uttar Pradesh, local investigators in Mathura are set to examine the digital communications, ashram registers, and physical locations once the initial records are received.
