Apr 25, 2017

Sex cult doc tried to build a following among teenagers

Gautam S. Mengle
The Hindu
April 25, 2017


Kulkarni projected himself as leader of free thought: cops

Mumbai: Self-styled psychiatrist Sunil Kulkarni, who was arrested by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch last week, was trying to build a following for himself among teenagers by encouraging to break societal rules and norms, Crime Branch officials said on Monday.

Mr. Kulkarni was arrested on April 19 on instructions of the Bombay High Court after parents of four young girls filed a petition, alleging that he was drawing their daughters away from them and into a cult based on sex and drugs.

The Crime Branch has since then been interrogating him regarding his interactions with the teenagers and his movements over the last 10 months that he has been in Mumbai.

Investigating officers said Mr. Kulkarni’s interrogation and analysis of his activities on Facebook have indicated that he was trying to project himself as a leader of free thought by capitalising on the rebellious instincts that all teenagers feel.

“Mr. Kulkarni had set up a Facebook page and an account, both in the name of Shifu Sunkriti. Most of the young men and women who came into contact with him had complaints against their parents, who, according to them, were being unnecessarily restrictive. Mr. Kulkarni would propagate the theory that there should be no barriers, even in sexual relations, and would encourage his followers to engage in sexual acts with each other,” said an officer who is part of the investigation.

Council denies claim


The police have found that Mr. Kulkarni, posing as a doctor – a claim that has been negated by the Maharashtra Medical Council – would administer anti-depressant pills to his followers as part of his Shifu Sunkriti. His preachings included advocating a total absence of limitations and discarding all societal rules to follow what the heart tells us to do.

“The pills would lower the mental defences and inhibitions of the teenagers, who would then readily embrace his preachings, and Mr. Kulkarni would keep them addicted to these pills. We have found several strips of these pills in his house and are seeking a formal medical opinion on their effects,” the officer said.

Investigations have also established that Mr. Kulkarni was careful to only interact with those over the age of 18 to avoid legal hassles. He had allegedly become doubly careful after a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was registered against him in Delhi last year. The police said he fled to Mumbai after the case was lodged, and had been trying to build a base in the city.

A team of Crime Branch officials is currently in Delhi making inquiries about the PCSOA case against Mr. Kulkarni and his antecedents there.

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