My mother-in-law died with a severe mental disorder, worsened by years of exploitation at the hands of fraudulent godmen and self-proclaimed goddesses. Instead of being guided toward professional treatment, she was trapped in a cycle of false promises, harmful rituals, and deepened suffering. Her tragic story is not an isolated case—it is part of a larger crisis across South Asia, where superstition, stigma, and systemic neglect too often outweigh science, compassion, and healthcare. The exploitation of individuals suffering from mental illness by "godmen" and similar figures is fueled by several interconnected issues. Mental illness is frequently misunderstood—often attributed to supernatural causes like "black magic," "evil spirits," or "divine displeasure"—rather than being viewed as a medical condition. This stigma prevents families from seeking evidence-based psychological or psychiatric care, fearing social ostracism or shame. There is a severe shortage of trained psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors (the mental health treatment gap is immense), making legitimate, affordable help virtually inaccessible for the majority of the population. In the absence of accessible medical care, and due to deep cultural and religious reverence, many people, particularly in rural or conservative areas, instinctively turn to traditional healers, religious leaders, or godmen for spiritual intervention and cure. Fraudulent figures thrive by preying on the desperation and despair of suffering individuals and their families. They offer simple, immediate (though false) solutions—often framed as faith-based or miraculous—in exchange for financial or other forms of exploitation. There is often insufficient regulation or prosecution of figures who fraudulently claim to cure mental and physical illnesses, allowing the cycle of exploitation to continue unchecked.
Exploitation Disguised as Faith
Fraudulent spiritual leaders operate as predators, targeting individuals and families at their most vulnerable. They offer false promises of divine healing while discouraging medical treatment. They also foster dependency through fear tactics and threats of supernatural harm exploiting victims financially, emotionally, and, in some cases, physically or sexually. For the poor, uneducated, or socially marginalized, these practices are not fringe—they are widespread and normalized. This makes the harm systemic, not incidental. This tragic reality highlights the need for greater public awareness, mental health education, and stringent regulation of spiritual leaders to protect people from harmful influences disguised as divine guidance.
Anyone involved in fraud, including a fraudulent godman, faces substantial jail time and financial penalties under Indian and Nepalese laws, and cases involving harm to the public or large-scale deception attract even harsher punishments. The National Penal (Code) Act, 2017, covers general fraud under sections dealing with deception and cheating. Penalties include imprisonment up to 3-10 years and fines up to NPR 100,000, depending on the severity (e.g., for forgery or identity-related scams that could apply to fake healers). Compensation for victims is also mandated. However, specific regulations for fraudulent godmen are weak, and cases like those involving emotional or physical abuse in the name of “healing” often fall under broader penal codes rather than targeted laws.
The deaths of vulnerable Nepalis due to fraudulent healing are not isolated tragedies—they are systemic failures at the intersection of public health, human rights, and rule of law. Nepal has an opportunity to lead South Asia in dismantling superstition-based exploitation by protecting citizens through law enforcement, expanding equitable mental health access, and reshaping cultural attitudes toward evidence-based care.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat have passed laws to prevent and eradicate inhuman practices, black magic, and human sacrifice . These laws criminalize specific exploitative practices carried out in the name of faith. Furthermore, general laws against fraud, sexual assault, and murder are used to prosecute godmen, as seen in the high-profile convictions of figures like Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and Asaram Bapu .
Why Faith-Based Exploitation Thrives
The persistence of fraudulent godmen and goddesses reflects deeper structural problems: In many Nepalese communities, admitting to a mental health condition is seen as shameful, a mark of weakness, or even a curse. Families fear discrimination or social isolation. Disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, or epilepsy are often attributed to spirit possession, black magic, or divine punishment. Access to psychiatric and neurological care is extremely limited. In India, there is just one psychiatrist for every 400,000 people in India. Nepal has 0.36 psychiatrists per 100,000 is far below WHO-recommended benchmarks, and far behind what’d be needed to adequately serve rural and remote populations. Most professionals, especially psychiatrists, are clustered in cities. Rural and mountainous regions remain underserved. Even where psychiatrists exist, many health facilities (especially at lower levels) lack trained mental health staff, essential medicines, or infrastructure. In Nepal, resources outside urban centers are almost nonexistent. Faith healers are often the only “available” practitioners.
The Human Toll
The cost of this failure is devastating. Women are disproportionately victimized, suffering emotional abuse, forced rituals, or sexual exploitation. Families lose time, money, and hope, while disorders go untreated. Communities remain locked in cycles of fear, dependency, and misinformation. Each unreported case represents not just individual pain, but a societal failure to protect the vulnerable.
Emerging Role of AI in Mental Health (2025 and Beyond)
Amid this crisis, technology offers cautious hope. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used to bridge the massive gap in mental health access. AI Chatbots & Local-Language Apps like Therabot offer stigma-free, empathetic support and basic emotional guidance. AI can analyze voice and text patterns to identify risks such as depression or suicidal ideation. AI tools help connect patients with scarce human specialists. Platforms focus on privacy and ethical safeguards, crucial for vulnerable users. But AI is not a cure-all. Studies show that unregulated therapy chatbots can introduce bias, misdiagnosis, or even reinforce harmful beliefs. AI must supplement, not replace human care, and it requires regulation, clinician collaboration, and community trust to be safe.
Pathways for Change
To dismantle harmful practices and safeguard citizens, governments, civil society, and international partners must act on four fronts. Nepal should adopt targeted anti-superstition laws, modeled on Indian state-level acts, to criminalize exploitative spiritual practices. Offenders must face strict prosecution, with compensation guaranteed for victims. Establish rural mental health centers and mobile outreach clinics, training community health workers in psychological first aid offering subsidized tele-psychiatry and AI-assisted platforms for low-income families. Launch national awareness campaigns that normalize seeking psychiatric care. Integrate mental health education into schools and community programs. Engage progressive religious leaders to replace harmful practices with compassionate, science-based guidance. Support development of culturally relevant, local-language AI tools. Enforce strong ethical oversight to ensure safety, privacy, and accountability. Provide subsidies for AI platforms in disadvantaged communities to reduce reliance on fraudulent healers integrating AI-enabled local-language apps for early screening, emotional support, and awareness. Collaborate with schools, women’s groups, and local media to counter superstition. Establish helplines and safe reporting mechanisms for victims. Monitor large-scale “healing” gatherings and penalize misinformation.
A Call to Action
Fraudulent godmen and goddesses are not only perpetuating superstition—they are actively worsening a public health crisis. They thrive in environments where stigma, poverty, and systemic neglect leave people with no alternatives. Nepal has the opportunity to lead change by combining law, healthcare expansion, cultural education, and responsible technology use. With coordinated action, no family should suffer what mine did—watching a loved one’s life slip away because superstition triumphed over science and compassion. The time for reform is now. NGOs, policymakers, and civil society must push for legal reform, mental health investment, and nationwide awareness so no Nepali suffers or dies due to superstition, fear, or lack of scientific care.