More than six months after Dera Sacha Sauda founder Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted on rape charges, a godman who was popular for dressing up as a woman during the Navratras was arrested on Tuesday in Rajasthan for allegedly sodomising teenagers and abetting a youth's suicide.
Kuldeep Singh Jhala, who has been revered as a reincarnation of Shakti and Jagdamba, was popularly known as Jagdamba Baba and 'Lipstick' Baba for dressing up as a woman. He is believed to have over 700 followers.
Police said Jhala (38) would coerce his young followers to have sex with them and torture them. He was arrested for abetting the suicide of a 20-year-old follower, Jhalawar police said.
The youth, Yuvraj Singh, committed suicide in February after Jhala allegedly threatened him for getting engaged with a girl and started torturing Yuvraj.
Police said at least seven followers confessed to being sexually abused as part of rituals. All the victims, so far, have been male.
(With agency inputs)