An alleged cult leader accused of declaring himself a ‘living God’ in order to abuse his followers sexually says the ‘miracles’ he performed to prove his divinity were, in fact, just ‘magic tricks’ meant to entertain.

Rajinder Kalia is being sued in the High Court over claims he ‘groomed’ members of his temple to believe he is ‘an incarnation of God,’ while subjecting women and children as young as four to horrific sexual abuse.

Mr Kalia – head priest at his Hindu-based temple in Coventry – allegedly performed ‘miracles’, including setting fire to water and squeezing blood from a lemon, to convince devotees.

The claimants’ barrister, Mark Jones, put to him that he had performed the ‘tricks’ in order to persuade followers that he has ‘supernatural powers.’

But Kalia denied all the allegations against him and told the court he was merely ‘entertaining’ his followers.

‘It is entertainment,’ he told the judge, Mr Justice Martin Spencer, before adding in response to cross-examination: ‘Does a magician tell about his abilities?’

‘I have told you before,’ he added. ‘I was entertaining.’

Giving evidence this week, Kalia, 68, denied all the allegations against him, and said claims of his divinity were part of a ‘conspiracy’ to extort him of millions.

‘The claimants have fabricated stories, and have lied, in order to extort money from me,’ he told the judge, Mr Justice Martin Spencer.

‘I have never claimed to be divine, to have a direct link to God, to be a manifestation of God, or to be an incarnation of God, as alleged by the claimants.

Kalia claimed he was merely the ‘figurehead’ of his temple, and added: ‘I have never said that I can cure people or animals from illnesses or life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, nor have I ever charged a fee for praying to God for someone – or something – to get better, as alleged.’

The priest said one of the claimants had alleged to have been ‘coerced’ into paying $5,000 for him to obtain a cure for her dog’s cancer, which he said was ‘entirely made up.’

Four women are now suing Kalia over claims he sexually abused them, while they and three other former devotees also claimed financial exploitation, although two of the latter cases have since been struck out. The former worshippers want millions in compensation.

They claim Kalia ‘portrayed himself as an incarnation of God and/or the divine’ through his performance of ‘purported miracles,’ including asserting he had a power of healing.

It was alleged that he claimed to be infallible, that his ‘utterances were to be obeyed without question’ and that to question his authority was to be unworthy, putting them ‘in dire peril of eternal damnation through a cycle of birth and rebirth.’

Sexual abuse began against three of the women when they were underage, it is claimed.

Giving evidence earlier in the trial, one of the four women alleging sexual abuse described Mr Kalia as a ‘devil’ in disguise.

‘He isn’t an incarnation of God, he is the devil,’ she told the judge. ‘I was groomed by him to believe he was God, because I was a child when I went to him.’