Indian 'yoga guru' held in Australia for assaulting two women
Melbourne, May 8: A self-proclaimed spiritual leader from India has been arrested and remanded in custody in Australia for allegedly assaulting two women who invited him to their homes for prayers in Sydney.
Anand Giri, 38, was arrested from the western suburb of Oxley Park in Sydney early on Sunday and was subsequently charged with two counts of committing an act of indecency on two women on separate occasions, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) news website reported.
He was due to fly overseas on Monday after completing a six-week spiritual teaching tour.
According to the New South Wales police, the man attended a house in Rooty Hill to participate in Hindu prayers on New Year's Day in 2016 where he met a 29-year-old woman and allegedly assaulted her in a bedroom.
"While in the bedroom of the home, the man has allegedly indecently assaulted the woman," police said in a statement.
It was also alleged that the accused man also attended a home in Rooty Hill in 2018 where he met a 34-year-old woman in the lounge room of the home for prayers and indecently assaulted her.
Police said that officers from Mt Druitt Police Area Command were notified and commenced investigations.
After being denied bail over concerns that "more women victims could be at risk if released", he was remanded in custody.
He will appear at Mt Druitt Local Court on June 26.
Both the complainants were known to the 'yogi', police said.
Giri hails from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
According to his website, the primary objective of his life is to "provide life solutions to people and to be a change agent in the society".
He organises several spiritual teaching lessons and yoga classes throughout the year in India and abroad.
He is a graduate and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Yoga Tantra, according to his website.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
