Indian priest arrested for molesting children in US

A Hindu priest has been charged with 20 counts of indecency with a child and released on a whopping $1 million bail bond by a United States court.

Prakashanand Saraswati, 79, founder of the Barsana Dham centre in north Hays County in Texas - one of the biggest Hindu temples in the US - was arrested at an airport in Washington, DC last week.

Known to his followers as Shree Swamiji, the priest is accused of groping two underage girls on several occasions in the 1990s.

Sheriff's spokesman Sgt Leroy Opiela said, the priest was booked "on two indictments alleging 20 counts of indecency with a child or sexual contact". District Judge Bill Henry set bond at $50,000 for each charge.

The case stems from an investigation that started in May 2007, sealed indictments were issued in April after which an arrest warrant was issued against Saraswati.

The Barasana Dham temple said the allegations against Saraswati were 'false and damaging'.

"It is unfortunate and sad that someone has made these false and damaging allegations," Barsana Dham, vice president Prabahakari Devi said in a statement. "If you know Shree Swamiji, then you know the alleged incidents of more than a dozen years ago cannot be true".

Nearly 5,000 people gathered at the shrine on Saturday for the annual Mela festival, which celebrates traditional Indian culture. "Their presence was a strong signal to all of us that the path to truth in this case will be short," Devi said.

Saraswati, on his arrival at the shrine, delivered a 20-minute message to an overflow crowd in the temple, she said.

Prior to his arrest, Saraswati had been in India, where he was overseeing the "creation and construction of hospitals for the poor".

While some question whether it's blind faith, Saraswati's followers said, he is not at the centre of a personality cult. But they do refer to him as 'his divinity' and said he has an 'impeccable behaviour'.

"He has dedicated his whole life to uplifting humanity," Devi said.

Saraswati was born in India and came to central Texas to build his dream temple, Barsana Dham.

Opiela said the sheriff doesn't plan to release any more information, pending the sensitive nature of the case.