Spiritual Leader Pleads Guilty to 1980s Sexual Offenses

An individual who served as a spiritual leader and exploited his role to target children has confessed to committing sexual offenses that occurred over three decades ago. These incidents transpired in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, during the period of 1983 to 1987, with locations including a gurdwara, which is a Sikh place of worship. Makhan Singh Mauji, residing at North Priors Court, Northampton, held the position of a Granthi (a ceremonial reader of the Guru Granth Sahib and service leader). According to police statements, he would “invade the lives” of those he victimized. The 71-year-old individual entered a guilty plea to 13 sexual offenses and is scheduled for sentencing at Cambridge Crown Court on 20 December. Mauji altered his pleas to guilty on Thursday, which was the fourth day of his trial proceedings. He confessed to eight charges of indecent assault involving a child under the age of 14, along with two charges of gross indecency concerning a child under 14. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to two more charges of indecent assault against a child under 16 and one charge of attempted rape of a child under 16. Prior to his sentencing, Mauji was granted bail and was required to relinquish his passport. Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, from the Beds, Cambs and Herts Major Crime Unit, stated: “I cannot praise the brave victims who have come forward to bring Mauji to justice enough.” She further commented: “This trial would have been difficult for the victims discussing incidents that have had long-lasting impacts on them. “I hope that seeing Mauji being sentenced for his abhorrent crimes will help bring some closure to them.”” For updates on East of England news, information is available on X, Instagram, and Facebook via BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire, or BBC Suffolk. This content is copyrighted by BBC 2024. All rights are reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their policy on external linking is available for review.