A Hindu holy man castrated himself in India Wednesday following the arrest of popular preacher Asaram Bapu, revered by millions across the country for his sermons on enlightenment. Police have charged the 72-year old guru with raping a 16-year-old schoolgirl at one of his ashrams, or religious centers, in August.

Authorities in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh found Baba Premdas, a 60-year old follower of Bapu, bleeding at his home in Amethi from apparently self-inflicted wounds, city police chief Alankrita Singh told CNN. Premdas was admitted to a local hospital and then taken to a bigger health facility for surgery where his condition “is stable”, said Singh.

Asked whether his act was related to the arrest of Asaram Bapu, Singh added, “We have heard such things, but all this is unconfirmed.”

“Some say it was because of Bapu’s arrest,” said Singh to AFP earlier, “some say it was because he feared ending up in Bapu’s situation. No one knows.”

Bapu has denied the sexual assault allegations leveled by the teenage girl and her parents, both devotees of the guru. The elderly preacher has also claimed he is physically incapable of rape but police say medical tests show him to be in good shape.

“The team of doctors is saying he is perfectly, medically, mentally and physically fit,” said Ajayal Lamba, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Jodhpur.

Bapu, also referred to as the “godman” in local Indian media, is currently in jail awaiting trial after a court rejected his bail plea earlier this week, public prosecutor Anand Purohit told CNN. The prosecution plans to present a detailed dossier of the charges in the trial soon, he said.

Read More: CNN