Baba Ramdev's guru leaves ashram due to ''unbearable pain''

Hardwar, July 19 (UNI) Yoga exponent Baba Ramdev's guru Swami Shankar Dev maharaj had been suffering from unbearable pain due to chronic lung and spinal tuberculosis which made him leave Ramdev's Patanjali ashram.

Police investigating a complaint about the swami who went missing from the ashram four days ago, said the swami had given a account of his poor health in a letter recovered by them from his room last evening.

In the letter, Swami Shankar Dev Maharaj said that he was leaving the Patanjali Yogpeeth in Kankhal here as the pain due to his ailments had become unbearable for him.

The report about the missing swami was lodged at Kankhal police station three days after he went missing under mysterious circumstances.

The city SP Ajay Joshi, heading the police team investigating the high profile case, today said, ''The missing Swami has also begged pardon from Yesh Dev Shastri, Bali Ram, Hari Dass, Chakor Dass, Nirwanji, all inmates of Patanjali Yogpeeth, for not refunding the money he had taken from them.'' The persons mentioned in the letter were being asked about the circumstances under which the swami went missing and the letter had been sent to the handwriting experts to verify the writing.

On being contacted, the most trusted lieutenant of Swami Ram Dev and general secretary of Patanjali Yogpeeth, Acharya Bal Krishna confirmed that Swami Shankar Dev had been suffering from chronic lungs and spine problems. However, he expressed surprise that the Swami Shankar Dev, who was one of the signatories to the accounts of Patanjali Yogpeeth, could not refund the money he had taken from some of the inmates.

''We have intimated all the branches of the Patanjali Yogpeeth throughout the world about the missing of Swami Shankar Dev. Swami Ram Dev, who is on a trip to foreign countries to teach yoga and ayurveda, has expressed grave concern over the disappearance of his guru under mysterious circumstances,'' said Acharaya Bal Krishna.

UNI