New Delhi, May 23: Self-styled godman Chandraswami, who was one of the most powerful and controversial “spiritual” gurus of Indian political bigwigs and business magnates in 1990s, is no more.
All the efforts of the veteran doctors at the Apollo Hospital to rescue the 66-year-old guru proved futile as he breathed his last on Tuesday afternoon.
“Spiritual leader Jagadacharya Chandraswami ji, 66 years old, had been ailing for some time. He recently suffered a stroke and later developed multi-organ failure. He succumbed to the illness today at 2.56 pm,” a statement released by the hospital said.
It could be recalled here that Chandraswami used to offer special poojas to lengthen the lives of politicians and business tycoons.
He was a key figure in several political scandals and financial irregularities in the 1990s.
He first gained fame through his skill as an astrologer but his rise to national prominence came as a result of his association with former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. Chandraswami was said to have been his spiritual adviser.
Soon after Rao became Prime Minister in 1991, Chandraswami built an ashram known as Vishwa Dharmayatan Sanathan in Delhi's Qutub Institutional Area. The land for the ashram had been allotted by Indira Gandhi.
Chandraswami is said to have dispensed sprititual advice to the Sultan of Brunei, Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain, actress Elizabeth Taylor, British PM Margaret Thatcher, arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, gangster Dawood Ibrahim and 'Tiny' Rowland. His loyal supporters include his secretary Vikram Singh, Pravir Kumar Roy, Vijay Chauhan and the late Kailash Nath Aggarwal, known as Mamaji.
Born Nemi Chand in 1948, he was the son of a money-lender in Rajasthan's Behror.
In 1996, he was arrested on charges of cheating a London-based businessman of $100,000.
Eight years ago, his name figured in the Rajiv Gandhi killing. The Supreme Court questioned why no action was initiated against the controversial spiritual guru if the government really suspected he funded the assassination of the former Prime Minister by LTTE.
He was ordered by the Supreme Court to pay a penalty in several Foreign Exchange Management Act violation cases registered by the enforcement directorate.
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