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Self-proclaimed guru-disciple held, 28 rescued from Kandivli ashram

The guru-disciple duo was identified as Devendra Manoj Dubey and Bhagwandas Tiwari, respectively.

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The Samta Nagar police conducted a raid in an ashram in Kandivli on Friday evening and arrested a self-proclaimed spiritual guru and his disciple for wrongfully confining 28 persons, including minors. The victims had been called from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand and were promised Rs1,200 per day for performing pooja for devotees.

The guru-disciple duo was identified as Devendra Manoj Dubey and Bhagwandas Tiwari, respectively.

According to the police, Dubey and Tiwari had opened an ashram in a bungalow in Kandivli's (E) Thakur Complex. In the ashram, the two used to conduct rituals for the "well being of devotees".

"We learned that in order to run their ashram, they called people, including minors from UP, Bihar and Jharkhand to perform the pooja. The victims were promised Rs1,200 per day. It is alleged that the victims were made to wake up early in the morning, while children were made to pray standing on one leg. Victims were also made to do cleaning and cooking work in the ashram, without being paid. If minors did not follow instructions, they were beaten up," said Dilip Yadav, senior police inspector of the Samta Nagar police station.

He added that one of the minors finally mustered courage and informed his family about the atrocities he was suffering. "The family then approached the police, after which a raid was conducted on Friday evening. We rescued 28 persons, including 12 minors, from the ashram and arrested Dubey and Tiwari on charges of cheating and wrongful confinement. We are also probing as to what exactly the duo were up to and for what purposes victims were called from other states," he said.

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