Kalpetta: A resort set in the charming locales of Vythiri in Wayanad impressed self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the moment he set his eyes on it. Soon came his proposal, "Will you sell this to me?" the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda asked the resort MD. "I can pay you more than what you could ever imagine!"
This is how N.K. Muhammed, the former MD of Vythiri Village resort at Wayanad, remembers the visit of Gurmeet, who was found guilty of rape by a CBI Special Court in Haryana last week.
"The rooms were booked for one swami from north India. But we were in for a surprise. Yeah, of course, he sported a beard. But beyond that, he looked like a fashionista. He had a coterie accompanying him, most of them women. Only a few men, like drivers, were with him," he said. The baba and his large group of disciples complete with police personnel and black cats took the hotel by storm. It upset the other guests in the resort.
“Gurmeet stocked money in huge boxes. When we asked him to pay by check, we were told that their dealings were only in cash,” Muhammed recalled. The interesting sight of one or two of baba's men carrying boxes filled with cash around, is still etched in Muhammed's memory.
Satsang at gunpoint
Photographer K.M. Nushiba had another trivia to share on the godman's visit to Wayanad. Hearing that a Swami had arrived, Nushiba and friends went to the hotel to hear his speech. A horde of gun-wielding black cats welcomed them to the hall. Baba sat amid the gunmen for the 'satsang' and preached spirituality. He said that he had plans to set up an asram in Wayanad and promised free education, drinking water and free medical care for all. He also claimed that he was blessed with an abundance of spiritual powers.
‘If you are so powerful, why all this heavy security,' Nushiba could not help but ask. Gurmeet, though a bit uneasy, explained in detail the grave threats on his life. His disciples distributed books and CDs on Gurmeet during the prayer meeting.
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