As the Panchkula court convicts Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a 2002 rape case, here's look at other controversial Gurus and their scandals.
India has been always land of spirituality. From Beatles to Madonna, the country has helped many to attain peace of mind.
But that was a thing of past. Now, more and more scandals are tumbling out of closets of many self-styled spiritual leaders. From alleged rape cases to sexual assaults to murders, the controversies surrounding such 'Gurus' seems to be unending.
As the country waits for the verdict in the alleged rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Panchkula on Friday, here are top five controversial spiritual leaders of recent times:
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh: The rockstar baba with Range Rover
Dera Sacha Sauda chief is no stranger to the controversies. From alleged rape charges, murder charges to hurting religious sentiments, Gurmeet Ram Rahim has seen fair share of scandals in recent past. Apart from the alleged rape of two female followers at Dera Headquarters in 2002, the spiritual leader is also accused of two murders. Ram Rahim was prime accused in murder of a staunch Dera follower of over 20 years and a journalist who was found dead. Ram Rahim was also accused of hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs after his ads showing him in attire resembling tenth Sikh Guru Guru Gobind Singh were published in 2007.The Dera chief has also been accused of forcing castration of around 400 followers in 2014.
Radhe Maa: This godwoman is dancing diva
Her devotees call her an 'avtaar' of Godess Durga. She 'blesses' them with an impromptu dance routine. Meet Radhe Maa, the most controversial godwoman of recent times. Her shocking red dresses, over-the-top makeup, and gold trident makes her stand out among all spiritual leaders. Sukhwinder Kaur aka Radhe Ma has been accused of dowry harassment by a Mumbai woman. Niki Gupta, in a complaint filed in 2016, accused Radhe Maa of instigating her in-laws to harass her for dowry. In an another incident, a Gujarat family of 7 committed suicide after spending crores on Radhe Maa and not getting anything in return.
Asaram Bapu: In Jodhpur jail for allegedly raping a teen
Asaram Bapu has legions of followers who regularly plead his innocence on Twitter. The godman, who was once known for fetching flower headgear and playing Holi with his followers, is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail. The self-styled Guru is accused of raping a teen at his Jodhpur ashram. According to media reports, there are nearly ten cases pending against Asaram and his son Narain Sai in courts in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Both father and son face charges of rape and killing children for occult practices. Strangely, what has baffled many are the deaths of many eyewitnesses, who could have sealed the fate of the spiritual leader. If reports are to be believed, three witnesses have been allegedly killed by unidentified attackers.
Swami Nithyananda: The 'sex swami' and the CD
Swami Nithyananda has been in news for a long time but all for wrong reason. In 2010, a video showing the godman and a Tamil TV actress in compromising position surfaced on local news channels in Bangalore. Though he maintained he was merely practising 'Shavasana', the police didn't believe so and arrested him in Himachal Pradesh. Cases of rape, criminal intimidation and cheating among others have since been filed against the godman based on various complaints. There were reports that condoms, drugs and other contrabands were recovered from his ashram.
Sant Rampal: Human shields and the baba
If you think that only the followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh are bringing Panchkula to a grinding halt, think again. In 2014, a godmen raised his own 'army' in bid to escape from an arrest in murder charges. In an unprecedented way, the followers of Sant Rampal made a human shield around his Satlok Ahsram in Barwala, Hisar to prevent police from arresting their Guru. However, the standoff ended after police stormed the ashram and arrested him. The verdict in two criminal cases slapped against self-styled godman are expected after August 29.
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