Bangalore:
Tension prevailed at the Nimishamba Devi temple in Rajarajeshwarinagar
on Monday night, as hundreds of people tried to gherao Harsha Shastri,
the Nimishananda Guruji. While the police rushed to the spot and brought
the situation under control, the Guruji reportedly fled and took shelter
at the residence of local leader, Pattangere Jayanna. Jnanabharathi
police were deployed after a few devotees demanded that the police provide
protection to the Guruji and the temple.
The Nimishamba temple premises at Rajarajeshwari Nagar,
Bangalore.(inset) Harsha Shastri, the head of the ashram.
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According
to sources, the incident took place during a meeting of the trustees
of the Sri Nimishamba Devi Temple Trust and devotees. The meeting had
been convened to finalise details of how to handle the problems created
by Krishnan Namboodiri, MD, John Distilleries, one of the trustees,
pertaining to a cheque for Rs 17.2 lakh. Namboodiri had allegedly fraudulently
procured a signed cheque from the Guruji, and presented it for collection.
The bank official had stopped the payment after consulting the temple
trust, sources added.
Namboodiri
claimed he wanted to do something meaningful for people of the area,
and so decided to construct a temple impressed by the spiritual classes
conducted by Nimishananda Guruji. The temple was constructed on a site
in Rajarajeshwarinagar, and the entire project cost Rs 48 lakh.
Namboodiri
said that he had been facing financial problems for the last few months,
but the Guruji had been pressing him to give money for performing a
Kumbabhisheka. The Guruji began to demand a cheque for Rs 17.2 lakh.
There were reports that the Guruji’s behaviour with women devotees
was objectionable. Nothing happened though the issue was brought to
his notice, claimed Namboodiri.
A press
release from the Sri Nimishamba Devi Temple Trust clarified that the
temple site and building belong to the Trust as per the legal agreement
of September 1, 2004.
On Monday
evening when the Guruji and other trustees were in a meeting convened
to discuss the issue of the fraudulent cheque, Namboodiri forcibly entered
the hall with some 200 people, but none of the devotees allowed him
inside.
The release
also stated that Namboodiri resorted to the act in an attempt to stop
legal proceeings with respect to the fraudulent cheque.
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