Surat : Teen Disappearance Sparks Probe into Alleged Brainwashing by Vadtal Swaminarayan Sect

SURAT, GUJARAT : Serious allegations have rocked the Vadtal Swaminarayan sect in Surat, with a police investigation underway following the disappearance of a 17-year-old boy and claims of brainwashing into monkhood.

Praveenbhai Sojitra, the father of Dhurv Sojitra, a student at Tapovan School in Nana Varachha, filed a complaint at Sarthana Police alleging his son was abducted and coerced into becoming a monk. “They brainwashed him,” Sojitra stated. “He was supposed to finish his studies, not become a monk.”

Sojitra claims his family befriended members of the Vadtal Swaminarayan Temple at Silver Chowk a year ago. He alleges his son underwent a ritual called “tilak haar”, followed by a head shaving and dressing in white clothes, after which he was taken away. The family’s attempts to see Dhurv were met with him refusing to acknowledge them.

This incident is not isolated. Ashok Shingala has made similar accusations against Janardan Swami of the Swaminarayan Gurukul in Samadhiyala, Gir Gadhada. Shingala claims his son, a class 10 student at the Gurukul, was influenced by Janardan Swami. Shingala alleges finding a notebook with questions about monkhood and an audio clip where Swami allegedly advises the boy to stop eating if denied permission to return to the Gurukul.

Janardan Swami, however, denies the allegations. “Becoming a monk takes 10 years and requires parental consent,” Swami stated. He claims the child has reconciled with his family.

The police are investigating both cases. These allegations raise concerns about potential manipulative practices within religious institutions and the exploitation of minors.