New charge added in ashram case

MUMBAI: To make their case stronger against two men accused of trafficking young people for exploitation while hiding behind the facade of running an ashram in Kandivali (east), the police have added the charge of criminal breach of trust against them. The duo, Devendra Dube and Bhagwandas Tiwari, were on Monday remanded in police custody for another day. The police are now looking for the suspected kingpin, a woman named Shweta Mali.Her mobile location is being checked to trace her.
On Friday, 28 people, including 12 minors, were rescued from the ashram. The 28 were kept confined, assaulted and forced to work without wages, said the police. Dube, a self-styled guru, and Tiwari, his assistant, allegedly used to make the victims stand on a leg for hours and chant mantras for visitors. The victims were beaten, said the police.