Suraj Pal, a self-styled guru revered by his legion of followers as "Bole Baba" and "Narayan Hari Sakar", has amassed a fortune of Rs 100 crore over the past two decades.
The fortune has come into focus during the investigation into the tragic stampede at Bole Baba's satsang (religious gathering) in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, India, last Tuesday that claimed 121 lives.
Baba Bole, who has not been seen in public since the tragedy, was a saviour to his followers, who believed his mantras would ward off ghosts and end family feuds. His followers even welcomed him with flower petals at his ashram in Mainpuri as bodies piled up and the cries of relatives echoed through the hospital corridors.
The palatial "five-star" ashram is just the tip of the iceberg. The land on which it will be built will cost Rs 40 crore.
Sources say that one of his guards donated the land in Mainpuri to his foundation. The house he lived in was inside the ashram and one had to go through the guards' quarters to reach it. He had also rented about 50 bighas of land belonging to the ashram.
His foundation also owns the ashrams spread across several acres and hundreds of bighas of land in Kasganj, Agra, Kanpur and Gwalior.
Bhole Baba, who quit police work in 1999 to preach, has a penchant for expensive things. He owns a fleet of luxury cars, likely purchased for his devotees.
Interestingly, a signboard in one of his ashrams states that the self-proclaimed guru does not accept donations. This claim is contradicted by the names of donors written all over the walls of the ashram. Donations range from 100 bags of cement to vehicles to cash for the construction of the ashram.
Tuesday's carnage took place at a "satsanga" organised by Baba Bhole and his organisation in Pulrai village in Hathras, claiming the lives of 121 people, including seven children.
Police announced that the event had attracted around 250,000 supporters, but organizers allowed only 80,000 to attend. As Bhole Baba left the venue, the crowd rushed to collect the dust raised by his convoy, thinking it was a blessing. In an attempt to control the crowd, volunteers from his organization and other security personnel began pushing people back. Several devotees fell off an embankment and were crushed by the crowd. In the confusion, other participants also began running, and mass panic ensued.
The next day, Bole Baba offered his condolences to the victim's family and blamed "anti-social elements" for the tragedy.
Six people have been arrested so far. However, the FIR which held the organisers responsible did not mention the "godman" by name. Police have not ruled out arresting the self-styled godman but said it was too early to comment on his involvement in the incident.
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