BHAIYYU JI’S WIFE, OTHERS QUIZZED

Police on Wednesday recorded statements of Bhaiyyu Maharaj's wife Dr Ayushi and five others, including sevadars and other associates, in a bid to identify reason behind the stress that drove the spiritual leader into committing suicide.

CSP Manoj Ratnakar said that statements were recorded on Tuesday night. Dr Ayushi, in her statement, said that everything was normal on Tuesday morning. There was nothing unusual. Bhaiyyu Maharaj woke up as usual. There were no tell tale signs of depression, she said. She told the cops that she had left the house in the morning. After returning around 1:30pm, she inquired about Maharaj's whereabouts from sevadars. She was told that he was in his daughter Kuhu's room. When she reached there, Dr Ayushi found that he had shot himself.

The police also recorded statement of 65-year-old cook Sarojbhai, sevadars Yogesh, Pravin Deshmukh and others. They all denied any dispute in the morning. In fact, after waking up, Maharaj called a sevadar and asked for tea. Later, he asked them to clean Kuhu's room, as she was coming from Pune.

A sevadar told the cops that after the room was cleaned, Bhaiyyu Maharaj inspected it and told them that he would stay in the room for the day. He later shot himself in the room. However, no one heard any sound.

The CSP said that Kuhu was depressed and not in a position to record her statement. Her statement would be recorded later.

Thousands mourn

A pall of gloom descended among hundreds of followers of spiritual guru late Bhaiyyu Maharaj at Suryoday Ashram where his mortal remains were kept since Wednesday morning. Bhaiyyu Maharaj’s daughter Kuhu performed his last rites at Meghdoot crematorium at about 3. 45 pm in presence of large number of people including union minister Ramdas Athawale and Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde.