Indian police arrested Hariom Yadav on June 20, 2026, in Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh — about 400 kilometres southeast of New Delhi. His followers knew him as “Botal Baba,” or Bottle Baba. He claimed to cure cancer by blowing his breath into ordinary water bottles. He has been charged with the attempted rape of a woman who came to receive his treatments.
His ashram in Chainkaapurwa village covered eight to ten bighas — roughly two hectares. Thousands of devotees came every Thursday and Sunday. According to the regional outlet State Mirror, Yadav also claimed he could bring the dead back to life.
The alleged victim, from the neighbouring district of Auraiya, was living with her children while her husband worked in Rajasthan. Her brothers-in-law called her in early June: “Maharaj” — a title used by some followers — was coming to their home to officiate. During the visit, Yadav performed a havan, a Hindu fire-offering ritual, then told the woman she was afflicted by a “kaala saaya” — a black shadow, a form of spiritual possession in popular Hindu tradition. To lift it, he said, she would need to come to his ashram for a special ritual. He charged her 40,000 rupees (about US$480).
A similar scheme — using the threat of spiritual possession to isolate a woman in a private ritual — had already produced a conviction in Guinea in early June 2026, in a case involving a traditional healer in Conakry.
On June 15, her brothers-in-law brought her to Yadav’s ashram in Devrahat. He led her into a private room and locked the door. She says he attempted to rape her. She screamed. According to her police statement, as reported by Dynamite News Hindi on June 20, 2026, he then threatened to kill her. She escaped.
She filed a police complaint. Additional Superintendent of Police Alok Prasad ordered an immediate response. Yadav was arrested Friday. His nephew Deepak, suspected of aiding him, was also taken into custody. The brothers-in-law who arranged both encounters are named in the complaint.
As he was led to the police vehicle, Yadav told reporters, according to Dynamite News Hindi on June 20, 2026: “All these accusations against me are false. God is watching everything. This is a deliberate conspiracy against me. A saint will always be a saint — no one can erase that.”
