1) Sathya Sai Baba (deceased 2011) is most likely the most influential guru in India and abroad - self-proclaimed God
Incarnate, Deity of Deities, the Vishnu Avatar of the Age etc. - who has obtained protection from attempts to convict him for murder complicity (http://www.saibaba-x.org.uk/8/MurderReview.htm) and serial sex abuse (http://www.saibaba-x.org.uk/6/saisex1.htm) by his devotees among Indian Prime Ministers, Presidents and Supreme or High Court judges. This is itself an indictment of the Indian State's ongoing corruption - a kind of protection that typifies a de facto despotism (though possible only while in office) rather than the exercise of democratic and legal principles. Of course, his fraudulent 'materializations' and many false statements and predictions are also very well documented or reported by disaffected followers.
2) The well-known 'all singing all dancing' Indian-based Hare Krishna sect (ISKCON) has had many and major convictions against them in the USA. See here, and here 3) Indicted for many felonies, but not convicted, was Rajneesh-Osho (who fled the USA with over 100 indictments against him). A most thorough critical article is by Kevin R-D- Shepherd here sums up the movement. See other documentation here. 4) Swami Premananda (deceased)- convicted for murder and 13 rapes - double life sentence. The case went right to the Supreme Court of India, which confirmed the conviction, based on DNA evidence. See also Deccan Herald April 5 and April 6, 2005. Premananda's alleged vibuthi materializations were investigated for fraud by Erlendur Haraldsson and Richard Wiseman See larger photo no. (No. 42) here- and read their most critical report (1995) Investigating Macro-PK in India: Swami Premananda. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 60(839) 193-202t
5) Swami Rama (Deceased - Author of ‘Living Among the Himalayan Masters') who escaped likely conviction for sexual abuses by dying before the case could be concluded. See evidence here. Also here
6) Gayatri Swami, whose influence in South India was very considerable was thoroughly exposed by
Professor Erlendur Haraldsson and Richard Wiseman. He was found to be pretending to materialize objects within fruits, but had a silk thread attached to them! Likewise, his ‘materialization' of right-handed conches (extremely rare in India as ‘Sri Lakshmi conches') the ‘left-handed type' are the only indigenous sort), Haraldsson traced his imports of them from California, where they are indigenous! (See larger photo here photo no. 17). Erlendur Haraldsson & Joop M. Houtkooper (1994). Report of an Indian swami claiming to materialize objects: The value and limitations of field observations. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 8(3), 381-397. (Full text).
7) Gowrishankara Swami; ‘Hindu monk gets 10 years RI for sodomy.''The Hindu' Bangalore, Feb. 3 2004 (PTI): "The Karnataka High Court today sentenced a Hindu monk to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and awarded a fine of Rs 25 lakhs after holding him guilty of sodomy. In default of payment of fine, the court sentenced the Gowrishankara Swami, the previous junior pontiff of Sri Siddaganga Mutt at Kyatasandra in Tumkur District, to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a further period of one year." The Hindu March 26, 2008, also reported: "Allowing an appeal from the swami against the High Court judgment, a Bench of Justice S.B. Sinha and Justice H.S. Bedi directed that he be set free.In the case, the FIR was filed on August 29, 1986, though the incident was alleged to have taken place in July 1986. The trial court recorded a judgment of acquittal. On an appeal from the State, the HC reversed the judgment of acquittal and held him guilty."
8) Swami Shyam , a current 'advaita' guru, popular with Westerners (particularly Canadians and Northern Europeans), many of whom have bought expensive residences at Kullu in the Himalayas, where he has his ashram. He considers himself a reincarnation of Krishna! He is under attack for seducing the wives of his followers. He has recently been exposed by Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper here. Another exposé source is found here. A book has recently been published which exposes him - Himalayan Hoedown. Also see a web site exposing him called 'Shyam -shadows'
9) Swami Amritachaitanya A spiritual guru known as "Swami Amritachaitanya" held in Kerla for charges of rape, fraud, possession of narcotic drugs . Swami Amritachaitanya, whose real name is Santosh Madhavan, was arrested by Interpol on criminal charges in a police raid at his 16-suite ashram in Kochi, India following multiple police complaints against him. Indians living in Bahrain came forward and filed a case against Madhavan in India on allegations of fraudulent practices related to his supposed charity activities. Twenty Indians living in Bahrain filed a case against 35-year old Madhavan. They claim they were victims of a scam after Madhavan convinced them to invest in a charitable organization and tourist resort, but allegedly kept the money for himself. Madhavan arrived in Bahrain in 2005.
10) The Palghat (of Kerala) born Bala Sai Baba (lit. 'the child Sai Baba'), who at 35 years of age is a bit overgrown for his name. He claims to be the real Sai avatar, set up an ashram in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and purposely copies Satya Sai Baba trait for trait in amazing detail. A clearly fraudulent attempt to hi-jack the Sathya Sai Baba 'phenomenon'. He is the most 'look alike' of a series of imitators of Sathya Sai Baba,a few of whom can be seen here.
11) Swami Balyogi Premvarni. (‘Yogant Foundation') of Rishikesk, where he has an ashram. He also has
various branches abroad. He has been exposed as a serial womaniser, especially convincingly in Mary Garden's book ‘The Serpent Rising' which she bases on her experiences in India in the 1970s. See the book here. And read a review by David Mainwaring here
12) Swami Nithyananda The scandal of his sexual activities broke early in 2010 with a video of him and a well-known actress (he originally claimed to be celibate!), later documents came to light showing how tantrik sexual perversions were practiced and partakers were sworn to secrecy by signatures. An overview can be obtained here: Swami Nityananda chargesheet: rape and unnatural sex In April 2012 he was appointed 293rd head of Madurai Adheenam. In October 2012 removed as head. See "Condoms, drugs and secret contracts... the story of why Nithyananda is in trouble". India Today. 2012-06-13. Further, see "TN Police Books Nityananda For ‘Serving Drug-laced Holy Water to Devotees". International Business Times. 23 June 2012.
13) Swami Rameshwaranand Giriji Maharaj - who has a large following in India and abroad - was arrested in September '95 as a party to the murder of his lover's husband. The 26-year old Manoj Girothra, husband of Savita, who was having an affair with the 'godman', was murdered on December 3rd, 1994, some two months after his marriage. Two professional hit men had been hired by the 'godman'.
14) Bhagavan Kalki See Severe Problems with " Deeksha Oneness Movement also note what dissident voices have to say:- I'm not going to beat around the bush. Kalki is saying that he wants everything disbanded because he doesn't want it to become a cult. Well, it is a cult. He's saying he's an avatar, I am God, and I'm going to decide when you pray, if you get the job you're praying for or not. So if somebody … is saying that I am God, that's delusion. There is only God, equally everywhere. Just because there's realization doesn't mean there's more god, or that the persona has changed into a go. You know, one doesn't become a god." transcript of part of Kalki fraud exposed and Exposed on Indian TV here
15) Kripalu Maharaj - 88 years old - It is reported that There are thousands of people who are trapped in his ashrams from around the world living a life of horrible mental abuse in his ashram under disguise to serve him as god. A CBI inquiry has been demanded because ca. 170 bodies are untraceable.The guru himself has absconded. He had faced charges of indecent assault and rape in 1997 in Nagpur. Millions of dollars of money was taken from people in America. See the strong article Hindus Speak out against Kripalu Maharaj. See Another godman mired in controversy - Hindustan Times He passed away on November 15, 2013.
16) Sri Sri Ravichandran, dressed like Jesus, has amassed immense wealth. His field of operation is in the West. He knows that wealthy westerners are depressed and he promises mental happiness by introducing a course called, “The Art of Living.’ As a matter of fact this title, ‘The Art of Living,’ was plagiarized from the project originally started by Norman Vincent Peale. Peale started a radio program, “The Art of Living,” in 1935, which lasted for 54 years.
17) Prakashanand Saraswati led one of the top Hindu temples in the United States until a jury convicted him of molesting children and he took off for Mexico, reports Ben Crair of 'The Daily Beast' (June 20, 2011). He led the premier Hindu temple in Texas and, perhaps, the whole United States. Barsana Dham sat like the Taj Mahal in the hillsides south of Austin. When PBS made its 2004 Many Voices documentary project about American congregations, producers chose Barsana Dham as their exemplar of the Hindu faith. Barsana Dham was “very much an ecumenical mainstream Hindu organization,” says Robert King, a former professor of Asian studies and dean at the University of Texas. And yet there was Saraswati, ordered to trade in the saffron robes for an orange jumpsuit. The charges were serious—20 counts of indecency with a child.
See also San Marcos Mercury uses public records law to get $ details of bond deal for Hindu guru/convicted child molester
18) Swamiji Maharaj of Dwarka, Gujurat rapist and criminal ... see scan on right
19) Asaram Bapu has many reported dark sides and has a strong claim to be India’s worst male chauvinist guru (See Times of India). He stands charged for sexual assault and has a history of illegal and entirely unspiritual actions and involvements. He stated at a rally in 2013 that the gang-raped and murdered young lady on a Delhi bus, Nirbhaya, was equally to blame for the rape and added, “Mistake is never from one side alone.” Considering the utterly horrendous treatment she received, this put him among the very worst of ignorant and unscrupulous male chauvinist gurus alive. He was on January 10, 2014 charged by the police with sexual assault, illegal confinement and criminal conspiracy, and his son Narayan Sai was charged with sexual assault.
20) Sri Sri Ravichandran, dressed like Jesus, has amassed immense wealth. His field of operation is in the West. He knows that wealthy westerners are depressed and he promises mental happiness by introducing a course called, “The Art of Living.’ As a matter of fact this title, ‘The Art of Living,’ was plagiarized from the project originally started by Norman Vincent Peale. Peale started a radio program, “The Art of Living,” in 1935, which lasted for 54 years.
21) Sant Rampal (Satguru Rampal Ji Mahara) Hindustan Times (July 23, 2015) reports: Amidst heavy police deployment, controversial sect leader Rampal Dass was produced in the court of additional sessions judge Ashwani Kumar Goel in a murder case registered against him in 2006 on Thursday. Rampal was arrested again after a clash between the police and his supporters in November last year and he was booked in 35 new cases, including murder, rioting and illegal confinement. Rampal claims to be an incarnation of the 15th-century mystic poet Kabir. He rose from being a junior engineer at the Haryana irrigation department in 2000, but was sacked. Since then he accumulated a huge fan following, 12 acre ashram a fleet of top-priced cars. Rampal supporters fought pitched battles with security forces throwing stones and bricks, also opening fire when police tried to raid his ashram. He was caught and jailed (2014). His properties have been reported as worth over 100,000 crores of rupees! Human sacrifice case against Sant Rampal (See also more here and here. Also This Is How Sant Rampal Made A Private Army Of Commandos Out Of Ex-Army Men And Cops
22) Sarathi Baba (Bhubaneswar: zeenews.india.com reported August 8 2015 Controversial self-styled 'godman'). Sarathi Baba was on Saturday arrested by Odisha police on cheating and other charges following violent protests demanding action against him for his alleged escapades. The arrest came after over 10 hours of intense grilling at his ashram at Barimula in Kendrapara district since yesterday and later at crime branch headquarters at Cuttack. Sarathi has been booked under various section of IPC including 420 (cheating), 120(B) criminal conspiracy and 341 (wrongful restraint) as well under the Arms Act and SC/ST Act. The self-styled 'godman' has been at the centre of a controversy after a TV channel showed pictures alleging that he had spent two days with a woman, who posed as his wife, at a Hyderabad hotel. Sarathi, however, denied the charge and threatened to take legal action against the TV channel. Protests against Sarathi rocked Kendrapara town yesterday with people involved in pitched battles with police. See also The Times of India report Aug. 8, 2015:- (arrested by Odisha police on cheating and other charges following violent protests demanding action against him for his alleged escapades.) The Indian Express stated the Baba was "sent to jail on charge of cheating and dishonesty following a state-wide hue and cry over his alleged escapades." also "Protests had broken out in the town and other parts of the state after reports surfaced about alleged misdeeds of the self-styled 'godman'. "