Conviction New religious movements Guru-led movement or ashram Moscow Oblast, Russia · 2019

Russia: 'Kaula Dharma' leader sentenced to 16 years for raping and torturing followers' children

Record class

Core record

Evidence status

Convicted

Authority role

self-proclaimed guru of a tantra-derived movement

Organization

Kaula Dharma

Spiritual nexus

The victims were the children of followers who lived under the leader's claimed spiritual authority on the movement's property; his guru status over the parents is what placed the children within his physical control.

Guru or spiritual-teacher authority
Ritual, oath, or initiation
Institutional obedience or isolation

Evidence structure

Proceedings

2019-12-17 · conviction and sentence

Russian court, Moscow region. The founder of the tantra-derived movement 'Kaula Dharma', a self-styled guru using the name Mitradevananda Paramahamsa, was sentenced to 16 years' strict-regime imprisonment for raping and torturing minor children of followers who were held in a basement on sect property. Two co-defendants received 15 and 6 years. He had been extradited from Bulgaria in 2017 specifically on the sexual-violence and torture charges.

Documented coercion mechanisms

guru authority over followers and their children living on sect property
children held in a basement on the property

Primary record

Sources

legal news agency court reporting verdict and sentencing report 'Суд приговорил к 16 годам колонии основателя секты «Каула Дхарма»', RAPSI (Russian Legal Information Agency), 17 Dec. 2019.: Russian legal news agency reporting the 16-year strict-regime sentence and the co-defendants' terms.
legal news agency court reporting extradition report 'Основатель секты «Каула Дхарма» экстрадирован в Россию', RAPSI, 2 Nov. 2017.: Reports the extradition from Bulgaria at the Prosecutor General's request on the underlying charges.

Related record

Related cases · New religious movements

← Explore all cases