Sexual video allegations rock Anandpur Dham Ashram in MP:Ashram women argue saints perform year-long penance; if saints’ minds waver at times, what is wrong?

The saints perform devotion all year. If by mistake their mind wavered once in a year, how can we consider their whole year of service wrong? This is not sexual exploitation. This happened with consent. Saying this, Mamta Singh Malik pauses briefly, then continues – In 99 years, 4 such videos have come out. This is like having worms in a bag of rice. When there are worms, you don’t throw away all the rice. You remove and throw away the worms. Actually, Mamta Singh is associated with Anandpur Dham Ashram in Ashok Nagar district. Currently, the ashram is in the headlines due to sex videos. There are allegations that women living here face sexual exploitation. Bhaskar’s team reached Anandpur Dham Ashram to investigate these allegations. After talking to the saints and female devotees associated with the ashram for two days, we tried to understand what the truth is behind the viral sex videos. How much truth is there in the allegations of sexual exploitation? Who are the women living in the ashram, and what do they do here? Read the report Everyone knows about the viral video, but no one speaks
When Bhaskar’s team reached Anandpur Dham Ashram, there was a strange silence here. Almost every saint and devotee living in the ashram has these videos on their mobile phones, but there is no wrinkle or surprise on anyone’s face. The atmosphere is such that it seems every person living here already knew everything about this dark truth. The team visited and spoke with teachers, nurses, and female doctors serving in schools and hospitals built within the dham. In conversations, the women here, who are respectfully called ‘Sister Ji’ and ‘Bhaktani’, do acknowledge that these videos were made inside the ashram, and they have seen these videos. Immediately after this, they say that this is a well-planned conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of Anandpur Dham. When they are asked this important and direct question, whether they or any other woman is being sexually exploited inside the ashram? Then, most female devotees and followers become silent on this. This silence in itself raises many questions. Women of the ashram, from doctors-nurses to science graduates
The women who came to serve in the ashram, influenced by the devotion to Guru Padshahi, are not ordinary. These girls and women wearing white clothes are highly educated. Some hold master’s degrees in computer science, while others have MBAs.

Some are practicing doctors, while others are nursing graduates. There are also a large number of women who have completed B.Ed and dedicated their lives to education. Women who are doctors and nurses are providing ‘seva’ (service) without any salary at the ashram’s hospital. Those who have completed B.Ed are offering their services as teachers in the 4 large schools here.

They say that during summer vacations, they visit their homes once a year after taking permission from the ashram. Most of these women come from wealthy families in states like Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. In conversation, these women shared that after graduation or masters, when they couldn’t find satisfaction in the material world, they came to the ashram and took a vow to dedicate their lives to service and devotion.

Many women have been living here for the past 30 years. They say that they have dedicated their lives to their guru and service, and thoughts of family or marriage never enter their minds. Different rules for men and women
The accommodation in the ashram is divided into two parts – male campus and female campus. In the temple, too, there are separate designated places for women and men for worship and prayers. It is a strict order from the highest official of the ashram, the sixth Padshahi, that the main gate of the women’s residential compound should be closed after 8 PM. After this, no male saint or sadhu is allowed to go in that direction. Similarly, women are not allowed to enter the men’s premises. However, during the daytime and during temple and sangat (discourse), they are allowed to interact with each other within the premises. Men address women as ‘Behenji’ and women call men ‘Bhagatji’. Positions in schools are given according to the preference of spiritual leaders
Anandpur Dham Trust operates 4 large schools here, where more than 2000 children study. From sixth grade onwards, there are separate schools for boys and girls.
These schools are entirely run by female teachers only. When Bhaskar Reporter, went to the schools and hospitals here to talk to women, they acknowledged that they had complete information about the viral video. However, the fact that she does not express surprise after watching these videos is strange in itself. They unanimously say that there is a conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of the ashram. But they do acknowledge the ongoing tug of war and factionalism among the saints in ashram management. Senior teachers said – We don’t know our mistake
Vandana Anand, 67, who came here in 1990, used to be the head of the primary school here. However, in October 2025, Miss Rekha, who had come to the ashram 8 years ago, was given full responsibility of the school.
When we went to talk to Vandana about this change and the atmosphere of the ashram, the management, watching us through CCTV, sent the security head there to keep an eye on us. The new principal, Miss Rekha, shared that she previously served as principal at a prestigious public school in Delhi. Similarly, Miss Deepika was also appointed as principal of the Middle School (English medium) just two months ago, whereas she was previously a Computer Science lecturer. Both Miss Rekha and Miss Deepika are quite junior in experience, but they have been given senior positions. When we spoke to the senior teachers who were removed from their positions, they said in hushed tones, ‘We cannot understand the reason for this. We don’t even know what our mistake was.’

However, regarding the discussion of sexual harassment, all teachers gave the same response that they came here for devotion and service to Guru Padshahi, and nothing like this ever happened to them. Doctor’s argument – ‘If sex is consensual, it’s not exploitation’
Mamta Singh Malik, associated with Prayagdham of Anandpur Dham, spoke about this matter over a video call. What she said gives this entire case a new and controversial turn. Question: What do you think about the videos that have come forward?
Answer: I have been associated with the Anandpur Ashram institution since childhood. I am a doctor. I have been continuously complaining about financial irregularities in this ashram. I have also sent complaints to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Collector. But the allegations of sexual exploitation in the ashram are not true.
Where is the exploitation shown in those videos? If someone is going willingly, that is not exploitation. There was no screaming, crying, or force used. If someone goes willingly and takes money, it is not exploitation, whether she is a tribal woman or from the court. Question: Are you not considering sex videos as a crime?
Answer: Look… in 99 years of history, 4 such videos have come up. This is like having worms in a bag of rice. When there are worms, you don’t throw away the entire bag, you remove and throw away the worms. Question: What do you think about consensual sex in ashrams?
Answer: This is a common thing. If it’s consensual, what’s wrong with it? I don’t consider sex to be bad. If there were no sex, how would anyone be born? If they are in the court and are saints, doing penance for months or years, practicing spirituality, and if their mind strays once in a year by mistake, how can we invalidate their whole year of service? If 4 people out of hundreds of saints are involved in sexual activity, not everyone has become like that. Management’s evasive response: ‘Will investigate if complaint is received’
When the Bhaskar correspondent tried to contact the ashram management for their official stance, initially, no one was ready to respond. Sonu Mahatma, who oversees the entire ashram management, was present in the ashram but refused to meet. However, Kuldeep Mahatma, who manages the hospital here, agreed to speak on camera. When they were shown the videos, they identified the person appearing in one video as ‘Chakki Wale Baba’ and said that this was a ten-year-old case, and he had been removed from the ashram, and an FIR was also filed. They refused to identify the other saints appearing in the remaining videos.