Indore (MP), Jan 28 (PTI) A local court on Friday sentenced a woman and two others to six years’ rigorous imprisonment for abetting the suicide of spiritual leader Bhaiyyu Maharaj three years ago.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Soni convicted Palak Puranik (28), Vinayak Dudhade (45) and Sharad Deshmukh (37) under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 306 (abetment of suicide) and 384 (extortion).
On June 12, 2018, Bhaiyyu Maharaj (50), born Uday Singh Deshmukh, shot himself with his licensed revolver at his bungalow here.
The suicide made headlines as Maharaj was a high-profile spiritual figure and some prominent politicians from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra were among his followers.
In his 56-page ruling, Judge Soni said the deposition of prosecution witnesses proved that Puranik, Dudhade and Sharad Deshmukh were mounting pressure on Bhaiyyu Maharaj to marry Puranik, and also mentally torturing him and threatening him for money.
The court observed that Puranik was an attendant of Bhaiyyu Maharaj, thus their relationship was that of master-servant, but she used to keep her dresses in his almirah and share the room with him.
Puranik, who wanted to marry Maharaj, dissuaded him from marrying another woman, which showed she was in the position to exert pressure on him, the judgement said.
“A servant prevails over the will of his master only when he or she is aware of his weakness,” the judge observed.
The court ruled out relief to the accused from the charge of abetment on the basis of the suicide note.
Investigations had proved that the accused used to give sleeping pills or sedative drugs besides his regular medicines to Bhaiyyu Maharaj, it said.
Hence, it can not be expected that he wrote the suicide note in a sound state of mind as he was already under the influence of sleeping pills and also facing pressure from the accused, the judge said.
A psychiatrist had told the court during the trial that Bhaiyyu Maharaj was taking psychotropic medication along with sleeping pills.
According to the police, Puranik was trying to blackmail Maharaj, who was already married, into marrying her.
Maharaj had married Ayushi Sharma after the death of his first wife Madhavi.
The suicide note recovered from his house said he was ending life due to enormous stress, and his financial rights, assets and bank accounts be entrusted to Vinayak Dudhade.
Puranik, Dudhade and Sharad Deshmukh were arrested seven months after his death. PTI HWP LAL BNM KRK KRK
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