At the Sirsa ashram, one woman could not meet another. This was even more strictly enforced in the opulent gufa (den) which Gurmeet Ram Rahim occupied. The women that he would target would be mentally prepared for his sexual depravities. He would resort to emotional blackmailing to prevent the women from reporting these encounters. The followers were not allowed to use mobile phones, they could not read newspapers and could interact with relatives for just a few minutes.