Five held for attacking spiritual guru Bhaiyyuji Maharaj

Pune, May 11: Five persons were arrested today in connection with an attack on the Indore-based self-proclaimed spiritual guru Bhaiyyuji Maharaj and his associates near Ranjangaon in the district on Sunday, police said.

The arrests were made tonight, said Ranjangaon police station Inspector Ashok Indalkar. The incident had occurred when Bhaiyyuji Maharaj was travelling in his car along with his associates to Indore, his hometown, from Pune.

"Maharaj, his driver and three other volunteers were returning to his hometown Indore from Pune. When their car reached near Ranjangaon on late night on Sunday, a truck dashed them from rear," Indalkar said.

The officer said that when Maharaj and other occupants got down to check is any damage was caused to the car, five unidentified persons allegedly attacked them.

He said Maharaj and his aides somehow managed to escape from the spot. "We have registered a case against five men after Maharaj's driver Prashant Deshmukh came to the police station from Indore to register a complaint," he said, adding they were booked under various sections of IPC for causing hurt with dangerous weapons and criminal intimidation.

The officer said the spiritual guru sustained some injuries in the head in the attack. Maharaj had reportedly told media persons in Indore that some people tried to block his car near Manmad in Nashik district during the same journey. Police said they are probing the motive behind the assault.

PTI