Hindu body issues list of 14 fake sadhus, including Asaram, Radhey Maa and Gurmeet

The All-India Akhara Parishad, the highest decision-making body of Hindu seers, has released a list of 14 fake and fraudulent sadhus and saints including jailed Gurmeet Singh of Dera Sachcha Sauda (Sirsa), Asaram Bapu, Nirmal Baba, and Radhey Maa on Sunday.

After holding a meeting in Allahabad, the Akhara Parishad released the list of these 14 so-called saints who are misguiding and fleecing the people of the country in the name of religion. Mahant Narendra Giri, chairman of the Akhara Parishad demanded that they be arrested, jailed, and their properties seized.

Following are the names of the fake sadhus: Asaram Babu alias Asamul Shirmalani, Radhey Maa alias Sukhvinder Kaur, Sachchidanand Giri Alias Sachin Dutta, Gurmeet Singh, Om Baba alias Vivekanand Jha, Nirmal Baba alias Nirmaljeet Singh, Ichchadhari Bumanand alias Shivmurti Dwivedi, Swami Aseemanand, Om Nawam Shivay Baba, Narai Sai, Kushmuni, Swami Brahspad, and Malkhan Giri.

The decision to issue the list was taken a few days ago by the parishad in the wake of Gurmeet Singh's 20-year sentence. The body has issued an appeal to the Hindu Samaj to beware of these fake sanths, who are tainting the name of the lot.

Mahant Giri said that Akhara Parishad will lay down a process for according the title of 'saint'. "Only those babas and sadhus who follow the mechanism to obtain the title of saints from Akhara Parishad would be recognised by the Hindu Samaj.

A day before the Akhara Parishad meeting in Allahabad on Sunday, Mahant Giri received a threat call over the phone. A complaint has been registered at Daraganj Police Station in Allahabad in this regard. "A caller, who identified himself as a disciple of jailed Asaram Bapu has been threatening me over calls for the past three days. The calls were made from three different mobile numbers," alleged Mahant Giri.