Babas thrive on faith, following
Controversial religious leaders thrive in pockets across India
NEW DELHI: Convicted “godman” Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh isn’t the only religious leader to have hogged the spotlight. Controversial spiritual figures have thrived for decades, commanding massive following in their pockets of influence. HT takes a look at some of them:
UP: SHOBHAN SARKAR
Swami Shobhan Sarkar aka Suryabhan Tiwari triggered a treasure hunt unlike any other four years ago. He sent Archeological Survey of India officials on a hunt for 1,000 tonnes of gold buried at a 19th century fort at Duandia Kheda village in Unnao district, 100km from Lucknow.
Sarkar had dreamt of the gold and the hidden treasure remained that way — in dreams, never found. Few have seen Sarkar and even fewer have spoken to him because he chooses to communicate through his disciples. Nearly six feet tall and well-built, he is bald and clean shaved. “Despite his dream of treasure not coming true, his stock remains high among followers,” the officer added.
ANDHRA: SAI BABA
A part of his name, his hair, dress and demeanour resemble the late Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi and the 57-year-old is building up quite a following across India and abroad. He also dishes out “miracles” — spitting out small Shiv lingams from mouth, producing holy ash, plantains and gold chains out of thin air. His ashram, Sri Bala Sai Nilayam, in Kurnool also resembles Satya Sai’s Prashanti Nilayam in neighbouring Anantapur district.
He was accused of encroaching on a land next to land his trust bought. There was also a cheque bounce case against him, besides recovery of allegedly unaccounted money worth ₹7 crore from his ashram a couple of years ago. The allegations have not stuck.
ODISHA: SARATHI BABA
Between 2010 and 2015, Santosh Roul, a Class 9 dropout who once sold betel leaves, held sway over lakhs of devotees in Barimul in coastal Odisha’s Kendrapara district as Sarathi Baba. He claimed to be a reincarnation of Krishna. His “miracles” included pulling ash out of thin air, honey dripping from his feet, and a cement cow at his ashram giving milk. After he was busted, police found the milk from the cement cow came through a carefully hidden pipe.
In August 2015, an Odia TV channel aired a video claiming to show him drinking whisky and biting into tandoori chicken with a woman MBBS student in a Hyderabad hotel. The ‘exposé’ of the baba, a self-proclaimed vegetarian and teetotaller, triggered violence in Kendrapara.
CM Naveen Patnaik ordered a CID probe. Trial in one case has started while he has been charge-sheeted in two others. He secured bail in two but remains in jail in connection with one.
GOA: PASTOR D’SOUZA
He is the founder of Domnic and Jo-an Ministries set up in 1998 at Siolim in North Goa. It is named after him and his wife. D’Souza is the pastor of his 5 Pillars church in Sodiem-Siolim region and is often in the news. According to his followers, this is due to his feats of exorcism and healing with a touch.
In June 2012, the church and retreat centre at Sodiem-Siolim landed in trouble after a follower fell within minutes of D’Souza blessing him. The man was shifted to hospital, where he died. A case was registered under Section 304A of IPC (causing death by negligence) and is still being investigated. The local court also banned him from entering Sodiem-Siolim for 60 days following a clash with residents.
MP: LAL SAI
Lal Bulchandani gained popularity as Lal Sai in Bairagarh, Bhopal. Politicians made a beeline for his ashram but he was accused of raping a teenage follower in October 2008. He surrendered before the court in June 2009 and got bail two days later. Lal Sai’s advocate, Ajay Gupta, said the court had acquitted his client. Lal Sai now stays in his ashram but has lost most of his followers.
J&K: GULZAR PEER
Self-styled faith healer Gulzar Peer aka Gulzar Ahmad Bhat is currently in jail. Four girls studying at his religious seminary in his home district of Budgam accused him of rape and molestation in 2013. A court acquitted him after a 21-month trial. This triggered a furore in Kashmir, prompting the state government to appeal against it in J&K high court, which dismissed the plea. Later, he was booked under Public Safety Act, which allows police to put a person behind bars without trial.
K’TAKA: NITHYANANDA
The swami who runs the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam in Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru is fighting a slew of allegations, including rape and cheating, levelled by followers.
In 2010, a video purportedly showing him getting intimate with a woman actor was shown on a local TV channel. Nithyananda went into hiding but was arrested from Himachal Pradesh. A case was registered and proceedings were in court when the state government and the main complainant moved a special leave petition in SC, which ordered a stay.