Missing since July, Premanand Maharaj’s teen disciple traced to another ashram

The family of a 17-year-old disciple of Vrindavan-based spiritual guru Premanand Maharaj had been running from pillar to post for nearly three months, seeking information about his whereabouts.

On Friday, the family of Anuj Chaudhary, a Hathras district native who had been missing since July, staged a protest near the Shri Radha Keli Kunj Ashram in Vrindavan of Mathura district, alleging the ashram management had been misleading them for the past three months and withholding information about his whereabouts. They later withdrew the demonstration on the assurance of senior police officials.

However, their search came to an end on Saturday evening after police said Anuj was traced to an ashram in the district’s Barsana area, around 45 km from Vrindavan, where he was believed to have been staying.

This came days after a 25-year-old disciple of Premanand Maharaj died after falling from the fourth floor of a building located near the Vrindavan ashram.

“Anuj, a Class 12 student, took initiation from spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj in July in the presence of his mother. He later returned to his home in Hathras. A few days later, he left home telling his family that he was going to the ashram. But he did not return,” said Anuj’s uncle Nirbhay Chaudhary.

The family claimed that they travelled to Vrindavan several times seeking information about Anuj but received no clear response and had filed a missing complaint in Hathras. A case of kidnapping was registered at the Sahibabad police station of Hathras on July 5 in connection with Anuj’s disappearance.

“We had been asking the ashram authorities to show us CCTV footage from the premises and from the apartment building where most of the disciples stay, but they did not agree to do so,” Nirbhay said.

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Earlier in the day, police said a preliminary inquiry found that Anuj travelled to Vrindavan in July and took initiation from the spiritual leader. He subsequently returned to his home and later went missing, they said.

Anuj is the only son of Rajveer Chaudhary, a farmer.

Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar said they coordinated with Hathras police to trace him.

Circle Officer Sandeep Kumar Singh said during the search for Anuj, police circulated his photograph on social media. A person who recognised Anuj subsequently alerted the police, leading to his recovery, the official added.

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“We will question him to find out where he had been staying since he went missing in July,” Singh said.

Hathras police have been informed about the recovery, he further said.

Meanwhile, the family of a 25-year-old woman from Noida who has been missing since last month approached the Mathura police for help in tracing her. Her family suspects that she might be at the spiritual leader’s ashram as she was a follower of Premanand Maharaj and had visited the city in the past.

Mathura Circle Officer Sandeep Kumar Singh said the woman’s family told police that she was a follower of Premanand Maharaj and used to carry his photograph with her. Police claimed that they checked the visitors’ records of the ashram but did not find the woman’s name.

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Also, police are probing the death of 25-year-old Deepak Lodhi, alias Rasik Dulari Sharan, who died after falling from the fourth floor of a building at Guru Kripa Kunj apartment in Vrindavan on September 25. The apartment, where most of the disciples of Premanand Maharaj stay, is located near Shri Radha Keli Kunj Ashram.

Police have so far ruled out any foul play, based on their preliminary inquiry and a video that has since emerged. In the video, Deepak Lodhi is purportedly seen sitting on the rooftop for around 11 seconds before suddenly getting up and jumping from the building. No suicide note had been found.

Police said they were examining the circumstances surrounding his death. As part of the inquiry, police examined Deepak Lodhi’s mobile phone and room but said they found nothing that indicated he was facing any problem or what may have prompted him to take the step.

Police are awaiting the toxicology report of his blood sample before drawing any conclusions about the circumstances of his death.

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SSP Shlok Kumar said police are looking into the circumstances surrounding his death.