Four sadhus and a disciple of the Vadtal Swaminarayan sect were today sentenced to death by a Nadiad sessions court. The five were convicted for murdering Swami Gadadharanand, chairman of the Vadtal temple committee, and burning his body to destroy evidence six years ago.
The killing shook the foundations of the 126-year-old sect, shocking devotees across the world. The murder was seen as part of the power struggle between Acharyas (descendants of the sect founder) and Devs (sadhus) to gain control of the temple’s funds which come in the form of donations and offerings.
Judge Sitaben Dave, while delivering the death sentence, observed that the accused deserved ‘‘the severest of punishment’’ because being men of religion, a superior conduct was expected of them. ‘‘Common men can be expected to have Satanic tendencies but when men of religion indulge in such acts they need to be given the severest punishment,’’ ruled the judge.
The court also sentenced the accused to 10 years RI under Section 201 of the IPC and life term under Section 364 of the IPC.
The accused — Narayan Swami, Shreejisharan swami, Ghanshyam Swami, Madhavprasad Swami and Vijaybhagat Swami — kidnapped Swami Gadadharanand from Navli Gurukul in Anand on May 3, 1998. They mixed sedatives in his soft drink to make him unconscious and then strangled him. The body was taken to Dungarpur in Rajasthan where it was burnt to destroy evidence.
The local police, after inserting newspaper notices, disposed the charred remains. They retained two gold teeth and some of the belongings that were intact.
After police failed to trace the missing sant, investigations were handed over to the CBI by Gujarat High Court following a writ petition by Gadadharanand’s disciple Jatinbhagat Swami.
The investigating agency chargesheeted the five accused. It also carried out DNA tests of Gadadharanand’s teeth and hair. Once his identity was confirmed, the CBI recovered his remains 10 months after the crime.