We Are Just Honest Businessmen, Claims Fugitive 'Swami' Many Doha Residents Among Victims of Conmen;no Case Reported to Us, Says Indian Envoy, The Peninsula, May 21, 2008

We Are Just Honest Businessmen, Claims Fugitive 'Swami'
Many Doha Residents Among Victims of Conmen;no Case Reported to Us, Says Indian Envoy

The Peninsula
May 21, 2008

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&month=May2008&file=Local_News2008052125036.xml

Doha • Satguru Murali Krishna Swamikal, one of the 58 alleged religious conmen who are under investigation in India's Kerala state, yesterday denied charges of involvement in any illegal activities at home or abroad. He is currently in Qatar on a private visit at the invitation of one of his devotees.

Satguru Murali Krishna Swamikal talking to The Peninsula yesterday. (Salim Matramkot)

Talking to the Peninsula, Murali Krishna said he didn't run away to avoid arrest or interrogation back home. "My visit to Doha was preplanned and was published on our website (www.saravanabhava.com) long ago, not as some media reported. I am accused of holding large acres of land but this is not true. The police raids on our ashrams found nothing."

"Evil will be uprooted and the truth will remain. This is nature's way of cleansing the society. People should have the maturity to differentiate between the good and the evil. This is God's doing," said Murali Krishna Swami. The state of Kerala is currently rocked by a series of scandals involving self-styled swamis who have duped hundreds of people.

"How can I run away? We have to return one day. What is the use of cheating our motherland and making money? Mine is a private visit and I will be leaving for Kerala soon," he said.

Swami Santhosh Madhavan

Another 'swami' recently figured in Interpol's list for alleged swindling in Dubai. Now notorious Swami Santhosh Madhavan alias Amrita Chaitanya was arrested by the Kerala Police and is facing charges of rape and cheating. Santhosh Madhavan too had visited Qatar on business, visit and tourist visas a number of times since 2004. According to sources, he has swindled people here to the tune of QR3m to 4m and his victims include professionals like engineers, doctors, businessmen, bank executives and even journalists who were offered shares in hotels, resort projects and other profit-making ventures in Kerala. Some of them are planning to file cases against him while others prefer to keep quiet for fear of negative publicity.

Many conmen in Kerala are under investigation after a petition filed by the Kerala Atheist Association. These conmen enjoy very high connections with the ministers and senior police officers, which helped them flourish without getting caught. Police raids at Madhavan's residence unearthed many details on his connections and helped open various other cases linked to rape of minors and shooting of pornographic movies.

There were reports that he had invested heavily in India and in the Gulf countries besides financing television serials and movies.

Another such cult figure, Himaval Maheshwara Bhadranandaji, was arrested for threatening to commit suicide and shooting inside a police station, injuring himself and a police officer, when it was telecast live on all Malayalam channels. Another film director-turned- swami, Vishwa Chaitanya alias Sunil, has been declared a fugitive after police issued a warrant against him in a cheque case.

"I cannot talk about the issue and no case has been reported to the embassy on any such dealings in Qatar," Dr George Joseph, Indian Ambassador told The Peninsula. "If there is any case, it is better to file them in Kerala as the accused are not in Qatar. All we can do is attest these petitions," he added.