French authorities arrest Romanian guru of controversial yoga sect
MISA
Authorities in France on Tuesday (November 28) arrested the leader of a controversial yoga guru and 40 others, reported AFP. The sect led by Romanian guru Gregorian Bivolaru has been accused of numerous abuses. Bivolaru is already in the crosshairs of judicial authorities in Romania, Sweden and France.
AFP reported citing a source that the arrests were made in the Paris region and also in southern France.
It has been reported that during the operation, 26 women were freed. Many of them were held against their will by the sect. About 175 police officers were deployed for this operation.
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The controversial network, called Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA), runs several yoga schools and other operations.
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AFP said that the sect had "several hundred" members.
The probe
In July, prosecutors in Paris had launched a probe into the sect. The arrests have followed the investigation. There are suspicions of kidnapping, rape, human trafficking and more.
Bivolaru has an Interpol notice for arrest as well. The global agency issued the notice on behalf of authorities in Finland. He is wanted there for alleged human trafficking.
Human Rights League, a human rights NGO, had approached the prosecutors' office after it received statements from 12 former members of the sect.
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MISA, later known as Atman when it expanded beyond Romania, taught tantra yoga. Its aim was reportedly "conditioning victims to accept sexual relations via mental manipulation techniques which sought to eliminate any notion of consent".
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AFP quoted a source to say that women were encouraged to accept sexual relations with Gregorian Bivolaru, the group's leader and also agree to participate in "fee-paying pornographic practices in France and abroad".
(With inputs from agencies)