Houston, May 4 (PTI): A Hindu priest has been charged with 20 counts of indecency with a child and released on a whopping £1 million (Rs 4 crore) bail bond by a US 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 spokesperson Sergeant 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 the bond at £50,000 (Rs 2 lakh) for each charge.

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

The Barsana Dham temple authorities 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.”