Yoga guru held for drug racket op in garb of spiritual ashram

Time of India

10 hours ago

Raipur: Rajnandgaon district police have uncovered a racket where a self-styled "international yoga guru" was allegedly using his spiritual ashram as a front to run a drug and vice network.
He would trap youths into the network and used them to build a larger network.
According to a statement issued by Rajnandgaon SP Mohit Garg said that the accused, 45-year-old Kanti Aggarwal alias Sonu, was arrested from his farmhouse-style yoga ashram following a tip-off. Known locally as "Yogi Baba Kanti Aggarwal," he had been posing as a spiritual teacher while allegedly selling marijuana and running a clandestine network connected to foreign nationals.
A self-styled yoga guru arrested in Rajnandgaon who used to run a drug racket under the garb of an ashram. He would trap youths and expand the network. Police have worked on a tip off.
From Peace to Poison: Inside the Raid
On June 25, 2025, acting on specific intelligence, a team led by Dongargarh police station in-charge Jitendra Verma, under the directions of SP Mohit Garg, ASP Rahul Dev Sharma, and SDOP Ashish Kunjam, raided the farmhouse near the Pragya Giri hills.
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During the search, police recovered 1.993 kg of cannabis valued at Rs 20,000, sex toys, illicit drugs and syringes, foreign-origin electronic equipment, and other objectionable and unethical materials. The contraband was found concealed inside a divan in the farmhouse's verandah.
The accused was taken into custody and booked under NDPS Act Section 20(b).
A Global Facade, Local Exploitation
During interrogation, the accused claimed to be a global yoga ambassador who had visited over 100 countries and taught yoga and meditation to foreign tourists, SP said.
He also claimed to be the director of over 10 NGOs and admitted receiving foreign funding.
The police believe he previously operated a "heritage yoga center" in Goa for nearly a decade, where he built close ties with international clients under the guise of wellness retreats. Now, he had begun replicating the same model in Dongargarh, police claimed.
It was found that he used his ashram to lure local youths into drug use, under the pretext of "peace camps" and "meditation training."
Late-night visits by unknown young men and women were a regular sight at the farmhouse, fuelling suspicions of drug parties.
Police have launched an extensive investigation into his NGOs' legitimacy and funding sources, his passport history and foreign contacts, and social media activities, which show a large number of foreign followers, particularly women.
The farmhouse also contained imported surveillance and video gear, which is now being analyzed by the cyber cell for possible use in filming illicit activities.
Locals, who revered the Pragya Giri region for its religious significance, are reported to be shocked and outraged.
The accused is currently in judicial custody, and officials said that a thorough probe has been launched. With possible international links and financial trails, Dongargarh police, along with central agencies, are now tightening the net around his entire network.