The Cult Behind Mathura Violence

The violence and the death of 22 people including two police officers in Mathura has shocked Uttar Pradesh administration. A splinter group of a so-called spiritual guru Jai Gurudev, who died four years ago, is being blamed for the violence.

What is known about the cult:

· In 2012, Jai Gurudev died in Mathura. His supporters claim he was 116 years old

· Some of his supporters occupied hundreds of acres of land of Jawahar Bhag in Mathura on the pretext of dharna in 2014

· Most of them are supporters belonging to a splinter group, known as Swadheen Bharat Andolan

· This cult says Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is the leader of India

· The Allahabad High Court ordered their eviction from the government land

· When UP Police went to implement the HC order, the supporters retaliated

· It led to the death of 22 people including two police officers

· When Baba died his empire was worth over Rs. 12,000 crore, say locals

· He had more than Rs. 100 crore in his bank account

· His immovable property includes mainly the ashram and property on Mathura-Delhi highway. A new ashram was constructed at Khitora in Bharthana, Etawah

· According to some estimates, Gurudev has land property worth Rs 4,000 crore.

· There's a school and a petrol pump in Mathura in the name of Jai Gurudev trust.

· Baba's fleet of cars includes some of the costliest ones, including Plymouth, Mercedes, Skoda and BMW. The total cost of these cars in Baba's convoy is estimated to be Rs 150 crore.

· SP chief and former UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav is an ardent follower of the Baba

· Even today his Ashram has a daily collection of Rs.10-12 lakh in the form of contribution by devotees