An airline stewardess with British Airways has been arrested, along with a self-styling Hindu holy man, for their suspected roles in a prostitution racket estimated in the multi-millions of pounds.

The pair was arrested in Delhi, with local police authorities claiming that the man, Hindu swami Shiv Myra Dwivedi, had been using his south city temple as a cover for an operation involving up to as many as 200 prostitutes. Among the number were students and air hostesses who were normally offered to guest of five-star hotels.

The holy man claims to have a following of over 100,000 including a number of leading Indian politicians. He was busted last weekend by undercover officers who arrested him and another alleged pimp, along with six alleged prostitutes. The apparent call girls comprised two hostesses from different airlines – British Airways and Indian carrier Jagson, also included in the half-dozen, who ranged from 19 to 30 years of age, were an MBA student. Few details of the nationalities or names of the women have been released by police but BA has claimed it is investigating the report.

According to the police report, the group was detained as they were in the process of soliciting a deal with a group of young Indian men in the trendy Saket neighbourhood. Some provided authorities with false names and officers also uncovered a number of secret rooms and tunnels at Dwivedi’s complex, along with several documents recounting details of his role in the alleged prostitution ring.