Amid Hathras Tragedy, 5 Controversial Self-Styled Godmen In India

In India, the fascination with spirituality is deep-rooted. Apart from the many gods and goddesses in Hindu mythology, every few weeks, there is also a new preacher – a self-proclaimed godman – building a following of gullible individuals who throng to them with their prayers and money. Although most of them believe they are indomitable, many have been caught up in controversies and criminal cases. Last week, one such godman – popularly known as ‘Bhole Baba’ – found himself at the centre of a controversy after his satsang in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras turned into a disaster with 121 people dying in a stampede.

Outlook takes a look at a list of godmen who have a huge following but are also controversial figures:

Bhole Baba

The latest to join the list of controversial godmen in India is Narayan Saakar Vishwa Hari, aka ‘Bhole Baba’. Until about two decades ago, he was a constable and used to go by the name Suraj Pal Singh. While he has a huge following of people who consider him the “healer” or the “exorcist”, Bhole Baba is engulfed in several legal cases, including allegations of sexual assault. There are multiple cases against him in various jurisdictions including Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, and Rajasthan. He was also arrested once after he claimed he could ‘resurrect’ a dead girl and took her body away from the family.

Asaram Bapu

A self-styled godman, Asaram Bapu was convicted in a rape case filed by a former woman disciple in 2013 in January 2023 by a court in Gandhinagar. In its order, the Gandhinagar court noted that  Asaram sexually abused a victim who was younger than his daughter. The 81-year-old was already lodged in a Jodhpur jail, where he is serving a life sentence in another case of raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013. He has also been in the news for the mysterious death of two boys studying in his ashram gurukul.

Ram Rahim Singh

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had become a household name in the past 15 years as the “messenger of god”. However, the popularity of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief soon became difficult to comprehend as he got caught up in several criminal allegations. In 2017, Singh was sentenced to 20 years in jail for raping his two disciples. In 2019, a CBI court held Ram Rahim and three others guilty of murdering journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who was shot dead in October 2002 outside his house after his newspaper 'Poora Sach' published an anonymous letter narrating how Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sexually exploiting women at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. In 2021, Ram Rahim along with four others, was convicted of plotting to kill Ranjit Singh, a Dera manager. 

Paramahamsa Nithyananda

Self-styled godman Paramahamsa Nithyananda was conferred the title of 'Mahamandaleshwar' by the Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhara in 2013. The 42-year-old godman is believed to be an avatar by his disciples and has ashrams in Chennai, Bidadi (Karnataka) and Las Vegas, United States. However, he has several charges of rape and abduction against him. In 2010, Nithyananda landed in trouble following the telecast of a video of him engaging in sleazy acts with a South Indian actress. Nithyananda has fled India and has remained in hiding since 2019. In December 2019, he also claimed to have created a new "Hindu” micronation called Kailaasa. It is largely believed to be fictional and a scam.

Sant Rampal

A disciple of Swami Ramdevanand, Sant Rampal grew a large following in the early 2000s, mainly in Haryana. However, he came into the limelight in 2006 when he made objectionable remarks about Satyarth Prakash, the central text of the Arya Samaj religious sect, and subsequent clashes between his followers and Arya Samaj believers. He was arrested for murder and released later. Again, in 2014, he was arrested after a two-day-long operation in Hisar where his ‘army’ of followers clashed with police forces. He was charged with rioting, assault and waging war against the Government of India under the Arms Act. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of four women during the clashes.