INDORE: A local court on Friday sentenced a woman and two others to six years' rigorous imprisonment for abetting the suicide of spiritual leader Bhaiyyu Maharaj three years ago.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Soni convicted Palak Puranik (28), Vinayak Dudhade (45) and Sharad Deshmukh (37) under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 306 (abetment of suicide) and 384 (extortion).
On June 12, 2018, Bhaiyyu Maharaj (50), born Uday Singh Deshmukh, shot himself with his licensed revolver at his bungalow here. The suicide made headlines as Maharaj was a high-profile spiritual figure and some prominent politicians from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra were among his followers.
In his 56-page order, Judge Soni said the deposition of prosecution witnesses proved that Puranik, Dudhade and Deshmukh were mounting pressure on Bhaiyya Maharaj to remarry (Puranik), mentally torturing him and threatening him for money (blackmailing).
The judge observed Puranik was an attendant of Bhaiyyu Maharaj, thus their relationship was that of master-servant, but she used to keep her dresses with his clothes in his almirah and share the room.
She used to sit by his side in his vehicle and prevailed over him to not marry another woman and longed to enter into wedlock with him, which shows Puranik was in a position to exert pressure on Bhaiyyu Maharaj by somehow prevailing over him, the order said. "A servant prevails over the will of his master only when he or she is aware of his weakness," the judge observed.
The court ruled out relief to the accused on the basis of the suicide note. Investigations prove that the accused used to give sleeping pills (sedatives) besides medicines to Bhaiyyu Maharaj. The court said it cannot be expected that Bhaiyya Maharaj wrote the suicide note in sound mind given the fact he was already under the influence of sleeping pills as well as pressure from the accused.
A psychiatrist deposed in the court stating Bhaiyyu Maharaj was taking psychotropic medication along with sleeping pills. According to the police, Puranik was trying to blackmail Maharaj, who was already married, into marrying her, using some controversial chats and souvenirs which she possessed.
The deceased had married Madhav and after her death, he had tied the knot with Dr Ayushi Sharma.
The suicide note recovered from Maharaj's house said he was ending life due to enormous stress, and had added that, after his death, his financial power, assets and bank accounts as well as other important works should be entrusted with Vinayak Dudhade, suggesting utmost faith he had in one of the convicts.
Puranik, Dudhade and Sharad Deshmukh were arrested seven months after his death.