9- Swami Premananda
With his uncanny resemblance to the Sathya Sai Baba, Premananda's popularity grew in Tiruchy and by 1989 his ashram was sprawled across 150 acres, had branches in 15 countries, and an international youth wing.
Like Sai Baba, Premananda's repertoire included creating vibhuti but his speciality was producing lingams from his abdomen.
Swami Premananda of Tiruchirapally ashram in Tamil Nadu was accused of raping 13 women. He was accused of having killed a Sri Lankan male, Ravi who had been living in the Ashram for a short period of time.
Medical tests confirmed the habitual rape of 13 girls.
One of them, Aruljothi, was pregnant and a DNA test established Premananda's paternity. Ravi's body, which had been buried in the ashram, was also found. Swami Premananda and six others were arrested and imprisoned in November 1994.
Swami Premananda was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in 1997 by the Sessions Court in Pudukkottai. The Chennai High Court (in 2002), and then the Supreme Court (in 2005) confirmed the Judgment. Premananda died on 21 February 2011 following complications arising out of illness.
