Maharishi Vidya Mandir group chairman arrested on rape charges

Bhopal: Chancellor of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic University, Girish Chandra Verma was arrested for allegedly sexually exploiting a former woman employee for several years, police said today.

Verma, also the chairman of Maharishi Vidya Mandir School Group, was arrested last evening on the complaint filed by the victim about nine months back, they said.

He was arrested amid high drama as his security guards offered stiff resistance against police action. Verma was picked up from his sprawling 10-acre ashram on the Bhojpur road here and taken to the Jehangirabad police station for recording his statement, officials said.

He had earlier been summoned to the Mahila Thana in Bhopal for questioning two days back, police officials said. City Superintendent of Police Saleem Khan said Verma has been charged under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC