In a touching Instagram post, Bipasha shared adorable pictures of themselves
entertainment8 hours ago
Fourteen female tourists have claimed that they were sexually assaulted by a guru at a yoga retreat in Thailand's picturesque Koh Phangan island, a media report said on Friday.
Agama Yoga embraced ancient tantric teachings under its charismatic leader, the guru Swami Vivekananda Saraswati whose real name is Narcis Tarcau, the Guardian report said.
Tarcau, who is from Romania, set up Agama in the island in 2003 after leaving Rishikesh in India when it is understood his visa was revoked.
The 14 victims from the UK, Australia, Brazil, US and Canada, along with two other men said that for 15 years the retreat facilitated sexual assault, rape and misogynistic teachings, allegedly "brainwashing" hundreds of women into having sex with the Swami in the name of helping them achieve enlightenment.
Three women claimed they were raped by Tarcau under the guise of spiritual healing while the others alleged he sexually assaulted them in private consultations held in his office.
The victims told the Guardian that they felt a "sex cult" was operating inside Agama.
After 31 women submitted testimonials alleging abuse at Agama, the school first tried to deal with it internally, but have now launched an independent inquiry.
Tarcau is understood to have left Koh Phangan in July, when several women went public with the abuse allegations.
A statement issued by Agama apologised for the "suffering expressed by many women".
"People are purposefully defaming Agama and spreading lies (even when contradicted by evidence of the truth), which is a crime in Thailand," the statement said.
Since 2003, Agama has grown into the world's biggest tantric yoga school, offering Yoga Alliance-certified courses and yoga teacher training to thousands every year.
Besides the main centre in Thailand, it also has schools in India, Colombia and Austria.
In a touching Instagram post, Bipasha shared adorable pictures of themselves
entertainment8 hours ago
In this opulent saga, Bhansali delves into the world of Basra pearls
entertainment8 hours ago
The news comes just two days after his rape conviction was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals
entertainment8 hours ago
The AFI Life Achievement Award is the highest accolade granted by the American Film Institute
entertainment8 hours ago
The paths of these two stars have intersected on several occasions due to their association with the luxury brand Bulgari
entertainment8 hours ago
The students' demands range from a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas to calls for universities to stop investing in Israeli enterprises
world8 hours ago
Despite Kohli's flowing form ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, pundits have raised concerns over his strike-rate
cricket8 hours ago
Saudi Arabia has begun to explore extracting lithium from sea water
business9 hours ago