Police to quiz ‘cult’ founder’s clients, check documents

Mumbai -- The city crime branch probing the case of Sunil Kulkarni, founder of Shifu Sunkriti who is accused of allegedly running a "cult" to "entrap young adults in a sex and drugs racket", on Saturday said prima facie Kulkarni seem to be a cheat. "He claimed to be an MD (Psychiatric) from the Indra Gandhi Medical College, Nagpur. We found that there is no such course in that college. Moreover, he is not an MBBS too," said a senior police officer.

"Kulkarni claims to be an HR and psychological trainer for several corporate firms and institutions. We are now checking with these firms to find out more about the documents that he had submitted there to establish the qualifications mentioned in his resume. We are exploring the cheating angle," said Vinay Rathor, crime branch DCP.

An FIR was registered against Kulkarni on April 20 by a Malad-based couple, who alleged that Kulkarni has influenced their two daughters, one 23-year-old law student and another 21-year-old architecture student, into leaving home. They accused him of "attracting girls aged between 18 and 25 years, capturing their mind..." Kulkarni was arrested produced before a court and remanded in police custody till April 28.

He has been booked for offences of cheating, human trafficking and obscenity under the Indian Penal Code and for publishing obscene material in an electronic form under provisions of the Information Technology Act. During a raid on his rented Khar 14th Road flat, police found allegedly incriminating documents related to offences under POCSOA. They found two mobile phones, a laptop, pendrives containing "obscene" images and anti-depression tablets, said the prosecutor.