The Maharashtra Police have arrested a religious leader for allegedly forcing his male followers to engage in sexual acts. Asif Noori claimed to possess divine powers, The Indian Express reported on Monday. He was arrested from Buldhana district on Sunday.

According to the police, the 38-year-old religious leader targeted young married men from Nanded and Parbhani districts of Marathwada claiming he would solve their personal problems. On the pretext of performing rituals, he would take the victims to a room where he allegedly sedated them and forced them to have sex with each other, PTI reported.

“We received a complaint on Friday from a few citizens after video and audio clips of him [Noori] allegedly forcing male followers into unnatural sex were circulated on social media,” District Superintendent of Police Dilip Zalake told PTI. Senior Inspector of Kotwali Ashok Ghorband claimed Noori used to “derive vicarious pleasure” from this.

Noori used to stay in a madrasa on Dargah Road in Parbhani district. Since he forced his followers to perform these acts at the madrasa, Noori will be booked under Section 295 (defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the Indian Penal Code.

Noori’s arrest comes even as another religious leader Daati Maharaj, who is accused of raping a disciple in his ashrams in Delhi and Rajasthan, is under investigation.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of Dera Sacha Sauda, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member Aseemanand, Nithyanand, Asaram and his son Narayan Sai, Radhe Ma, Sachidanand Giri are some of the other well-known religious leaders who have either been accused of or convicted of various crimines in recent years.