Indian Godmen and their involvement in sex scandal

New Delhi: New Delhi: From black slippers, an ordinary watch and an unstitched white cloth to Rolls Royces, diamond-studded Swiss watches, rich flowing gowns and Gucci goggles. This is the story of several self-proclaimed bogus godmen who by claming special powers acquire fame and power. India has an anti-superstition law to combat fraud by godmen, but their popularity continues. Here are some Indian Godmen who are involved in sex scandal1. Asaram BapuAsaram Bapu, born Asumal Sirumalani, preaches existence of One Supreme Conscious and claims Bhakti yoga, Gnana yoga and Karma yoga as influences.His ashram, located on the banks of the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, is visited by devotees for prayers, yoga and meditation. Asaram was widely criticized after his remark that the December 16, 2012 Delhi gang rape victim was equally guilty along with those responsible for the sexual assault on her. The victim should have called her assailants as brothers and escaped. Asaram himself was involved in controversy this year, when a girl from Shahjahanpur, UP, alleged she was sexually assaulted by the 73-year-old godman inside his cottage in Jodhpur on the night of August 15, 2013. Jodhpur police arrested Asaram on September 1, after a hide-and-seek game. Since then Asaram has been cooling his heels inside Jodhpur central jail. After the brave UP girl's complaint, two married sisters from Surat went to police and filed sexual assault complaints against both Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. The two complaints name Asaram's son Narayan Sai, 41, his sister Bharti and mother Lakshmi. All three went underground after this police complaint. 2. Swami Paramahamsa NithyanandaHe is a Tamil Nadu seer with a big following in several states and abroad. The swami set up his headquarters — Nithyananda Dhyanapeedam — at Bidadi on the Bangalore-Mysore highway and ashrams across Tamil Nadu and in Varanasi and Puri as well as meditation centres in a dozen countries. He landed in a storm after a news channel telecast video footage purportedly showing him in a sex romp with an actress. The video was of Nithyananda and a South Indian actress, but NIthyananda and his supporters claim the video was morphed.3. Ichchadhari Sant He claimed to be a disciple of Sai Baba and called himself Ichchadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj Chitrakoot.In 1988 he came to New Delhi and worked as a security guard at a five-star hotel in Nehru Place. He later worked at a massage parlour at Lajpat Nagar.In 1997 he was nabbed in Lajpat Nagar for running a prostitution racket. After release from jail, he changed his track and called himself as a disciple of Sai Baba.He built assets worth several crores in the past 12 years. He started holding religious discourses and congregations and even got a video CD titled “Shri Sai Amrit Varsha” released. He constructed a 200-bed hospital and a huge temple in Chitrakoot.4. Gurmeet Ram RahimDera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was charged by CBI in a rape case. Gurmeet Ram Rahim has a huge following in Haryana and Punjab. He had been charged with sexually assaulting women followers of the Dera at the sect's Sirsa-based headquarters.The CBI is also investigating two more charges against him for his alleged involvement in the murder conspiracy against Dera manager Ranjit Singh and a Sirsa-based journalist, Ram Chander Chatterpatti.5. Swami Sadachari He was once a spiritual advisor and tantrik of many top politicians. He was later exposed and sent to jail for running a brothel. The once-influential godman, who is believed to have performed rituals at a prime minister's residence, was nabbed only when he fell out of favour with those in power.