Mumbai cult leader lured women with promise of career in fashion industry: Police

Sunil Kulkarni, who leads Shifu Sunkriti, talked of launching a television channel and claimed he is a ‘positive health trainer’.

Sunil Kulkarni, leader of the cult Shifu Sunkriti, is active on Facebook and Twitter. Police said he used these social networking sites to attract young women by inviting them to be a part of the fashion industry. On his Twitter profile, he promises free “neuroplasticity resilience techniques” and a “nature retreat – a realm for emotionally naked visioning”, and offers money and free books in exchange for book reviews.

Sunil Kulkarni was produced in court in Mumbai on Thursday. (Bhushan Koyande/HT)

On May 23, 2016, Kulkarni tweeted through his personal account, “We are launching a new promising television channel IFTV Indian Fashion Television. We invite support.” In February this year, he posted from the same account, “Girls invited to join mentioning programme for Miss India. Miss Diva…”

Kulkarni has been operating in Mumbai for a few years, according to the group’s social media accounts. After his arrest, he told the police he studied at Nagpur had a doctorate in psychology. On social media platforms, Kulkarni described himself as “a medical psychiatrist, clinical & organisational psychologist, corporate, motivational & positive health trainer”. However, the police have found no evidence to back his claim of having a doctorate.

The police suspect he operates several firms but Kulkarni does not have a house in Mumbai. He said during his interrogation that he from Delhi and often visits in Bandra, where he has rented a house. He earlier lived on rent in other areas in the western suburbs. While he is married and has two children, he does not live with them, he told the police.