Jaipur, November 4
A religions guru, who had 100 concubines, was arrested here on Saturday on charges of murdering his disciple and dumping her body in a bid to destroy evidence of the crime.
The 73-year old guru, Jairamdas Gujar alias Ramji Maharaj, is the head of the Ramsnehi sect and has over a lakh followers in Jaipur. Four more persons have also been arrested in connection with the murder of Sudha Sharma.
Sudha Sharma, a local Hindu Mahasabha leader, who was a staunch devotee of Ramji Maharaj and was living with the guru in the math itself, disappeared mysteriously about two months ago. Though the guru lodged a report of her disappearance, in fact he himself had murdered her and dumped the body in a well some 40 km away from here. On a tip-off the police discovered her body from the well. After confirming that the guru had murdered Sudha, the police arrested him. Though he initially denied his involvement in the murder but finally admitted having axed Sudha to death.
The guru said Sudha had started blackmailing him as she was a witness to his illicit relations with some women disciples and she had even had in her possession some related photographs and voice tapes.
The guru told the police that he had been having illicit relations with at least 100 women. The women even considered it a pious act to offer their bodies in the service of Ramji Maharaj.
Such was the influence of Ramji that once he demanded the newly wed wife of the son of a disciple. She sent her daughter-in-law in his service and when she refused to surrender to him she was forced to obtain divorce. The son married again and then the new wife pleased Ramji.
It is alleged that Sudha insisted the guru to transfer his math in her name and once even threatened to expose his misadventures by calling a press conference and displaying audio video cassettes before media. Ramji, therefore, thought it fit to liquidate her for the safety of his prestige and on September 4, 2001, he killed
Sudha.
