Revision as of 18:12, 11 December 2014

Controversial godmen

Godmen in controversy

The Times of India

Asaram Bapu For a couple of years, self-proclaimed Godman Asaram Bapu has been in the news for only wrong reasons. He recently hit headlines with a shocking statement where he allegedly had claimed that the 23-year-old victim of infamous gangrape in Delhi could have saved herself if she had addressed her attackers as "brothers" and chanted "Saraswati Mantra". Also, in 2008, two minor boys of his Ashram in Ahmedabad were found dead in the Sabarmati riverbed two days after they mysteriously went missing from the gurukul in February 2008.

Asaram Bapu Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu was denied the bail as the prosecution lawyer claimed during the proceedings that Asaram has paedophilia, a disease which is characterized by sexual interest toward children. The spiritual guru was presented before court of the district and sessions judge on September 30.

Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was charged by CBI in a rape case. The Dera chief had been charged with sexually assaulting women followers of the Dera at the sect's Sirsa-based headquarters. He had been booked under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC.

Baba Ramdev Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who now supposedly finds more interest in politics than Yoga, was under the scanner when a news channel reported numerous financial irregularities and tax evasion being practiced by his trusts. His non-profit firms are allegedly involved in activities prohibited for non-profit tax-exempt organisations in USA. In 2012, his trusts lost their exemption from payment of Income Tax and were slapped a notice of Rs 58 crore demand on the sale of their Ayurvedic medicines

Balak Brahmachari

[ The Times of India] [1] IP Singh Dec 07 2014

In 1993, followers of Balak Brahmachari in West Bengal made claims of “nirvikalap samadhi“ and kept his body on ice for 55 days.Brahmachari had died in a clinic, but his followers ignored cremation notices and pleas by government officials that his decomposing body was a health hazard. Eventually, the body had to be forcefully taken from the ashram in Sukchar, on the banks of the Hooghly , where it was being guarded by Brahmachari's Santan Dal followers.

Coincidentally , one of the key members of the police operation was an IPS officer of Punjab origin. Rachhpal Singh, who was then SP of 24 Paragnas. Doctors had certified Brahmachari's death but his followers brought the body to the Santan Dal headquarters and kept it in a room where half-a-dozen air-conditioners were fitted and the room was filled with ice. Singh says he received a tip-off about the management's plans. They were preparing his younger brother to take his place, asking him to grow his beard and hair. They would have then declared that Brahmachari had come back.“

The police knew they had to act fast, as Brahmachari's followers were distributing `charnamrit' from the melting ice on which he was kept was a sure health hazard. On the night of June 29, 1993, that government decided to remove the body and Singh was to lead the operation.The gate was closed with thousands of angry followers inside. They had also made preparations for mass suicide to defame the police.Except for around 10 policemen, the rest fled. According to Singh,it took the cops five hours to reach the room where Brahmachari's body was kept. They found it badly decomposed and full of maggots. Today there is not even a single follower of Balak Brahmachari and his sect has disappeared.“

Chandraswami Nemi Chand Jain, alias Chandraswami, claimed to be a psychic, an astrologer and a faith healer. He had registered as many as nine FERA cases and the CBI has lodged a cheating case and a case for his involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1996.

Jayendra Saraswati, the Kanchi math Shankaracharya, was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Police in November 2004 in connection with the murder of math's accountant. He still is an accused in the case.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Actress Mia Farrow accused the Beatles’ friend Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of molesting her when she visited the celibate guru with the band in 1968. Apparently, he groped her in his cave. The Beatles were offended enough by their supposedly celibate friend’s libido to write a song that initially went, ‘Maharishi, what have you done/ you’ve made a fool of everyone/’ later, the words Sexy Sadie were used instead of ‘Maharishi’

Nirmal Baba 'Daswand' — or the receiving of donations of one-tenth of a devotee's earning — has landed self-styled spiritual guru Nirmal Baba in trouble with a notice having been slapped on him for alleged service tax evasion of Rs 3.5 crore. The central excise department issued the notice on the grounds that 'Daswand' amounts to charging devotees attending a 'Samagam' (congregation) an entry fee for a 'service', official sources said.

Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, the railway accounts clerk who founded the Ananda Marg, a socio-religious group, was arrested on a murder charge but was acquitted in 1978 by the Patna High Court.

Prakashanand Saraswati, the founder of the Barsana Dham Centre in Texas in 1990, was indicted on 20 counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact between 1993 and 1996. He was absconding and has been sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined USD 10,000 on each of 20 felony counts for groping girls.

Premananda or Trichy Sai Baba was awarded life imprisonment in 1994 for two terms on the charges of multiple criminal offences including rape and murder. Premananda was punished for raping inmates of his ashram and carrying out medical terminations of some of the consequent pregnancies with the help of a couple of associates.

Rampal see Rampal Singh Jatin @ Rampal, cult leader

Sudhanshu Maharaj In 2010, a businessman Mahaveer Prasad Mansinghka filed a complaint in the local court in Shajapur alleging that Sudhanshu Maharaj's 'Vishwa Jagriti Mission' to whom he had donated Rs 53 lakh for getting relaxation under section 80-G of the Income Tax Act was turned down by the department on the ground that the Mission had no such facility. A non-bailable warrant was also issued against the self-proclaimed godman. However, High Court's Indore Bench stayed the execution of non-bailable warrant issued against the noted saint.

Swami Bhimanand Ji Shiv Murti Dwivedi alias Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj Chitrakoot Wale was arrested by the Delhi Police in 2010 on charges of operating a high-profile sex racket involving former airhostesses and students

Swami Nityananda In 2010, self-styled godman Swami Nityananda was found involved in a sex scandal after a news channel released footage showing him in a compromising position with film actress, Ranjitha. Despite the controversy, Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani bestowed on him the title of maha-mandaleshwar in 2013.

Swami Sadachari, once spiritual advisor and tantric of many top politicians including former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has been in jail for running a brothel. The once-influential godman, who is believed to have performed rituals at a prime minister's residence, was nabbed only when he fell out of favour with those in power.

Syed Gulzar A 42-year-old self-styled Sufi dervish Gulzar Ahmed Bhat was recently arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police for raping and sexually abusing several young girls at his religious centre, Khansahib in Budgam district. Gulzar Bhat, who went by the name Syed Gulzar, allegedly ran a residential institution for girls which offered short duration courses in religious studies. He is currently in jail.