NEW DELHI: Indian police arrested a self-styled guru for allegedly running a prostitution network involving air-hostesses, college students and housewives in India’s capital New Delhi, police said today.

The man, Shiv Murat Dwivedi, and six women were arrested on Friday as they were allegedly trying to strike a deal with a group of young boys near a movie theatre close to a busy shopping district in Delhi.

“He used the guise of spirituality to run an organised prostitution racket since 1999 and has made billions of rupees by supplying women to his high-profile clients,” said a police officer, refusing to be named.

“He would force young women to join the sex racket, offered them money, expensive gifts and had even provided them with cars.” Known by his followers as Ichchhadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand, Dwivedi was previously arrested in 1997 on allegations of running an illegal massage parlour and luring girls to work there by pretending to offer them free meditation and yoga workshops. He was released after two months though.

Police estimate that Dwivedi made over 10 million dollars by operating the racket and have unearthed tunnels from his meditation room leading to small chambers, where he would hide money.