Kandivli police arrested a self-proclaimed yoga guru for duping 700 people on the pretext of arranging grand yoga competition event on September 29. The event name was ‘Gyan Yog Seva Kendra' under the banner of Swasth Bharat Abhiyan. According to Mid-Day the guru is identified as Gyanendra Pandey.
Kandivli police said that people from Jharkhand, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala participated in the event. Because the advertisement promised prizes amount up to Rs 1.2 lakh on mere fee of Rs. 800 per head.
However, on September 29, the event turned out to be a shock for participants when they saw that no proper arrangements were available for food and accommodation. In result, the participants approached the Kandivli police and lodged an FIR against the event organisers. The event was organised at a public park in Kandivli West.
Pandey and Chakraborty were arrested under Sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. Subsequently, they were released on bail on September 30.
The guru, on the other hand refuted the allegation of cheating and blamed a political lobby against him. "I had taken permission of BMC and city police to organise this grand programme. I am the victim of a political lobby against me," said Pandey.