Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Lifts Teenage Guru's Passport
NEW DELHI (AP) - A teenage Indian guru has been blocked from personally dispensing his "perfect knowledge" around the world because Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government has taken his passport.
There was no indication when, or if, the document would be returned to guru Maharaj Ji, spiritual leader of the Divine Light Mission, which claims 10,000 followers in the United States and tens of thousands of devotees in Europe and Australia. The guru claims five million Indian followers.
Informed sources said the government took possession of the passport two weeks ago, apparently to ensure he does not leave the country until an investigation is completed into the guru's movement, first exported to the West in the spring of 1971.
The government launched the investigation after Indian customs agents seized pending customs clearance, $40,000 worth of foreign currencies, jewelry and watches in a briefcase brought to New Delhi from New York last month aboard a chartered 747 jumbo jet that also carried the guru and 350 American disciples.
The jumbo was one of seven chartered from the United Stales and Britain to bring about 3,500 devotees to India for a month of mediating in the, Himalayas under the guru's direction.
A Finance Ministry spokesman said that early in the investigation the government has instructed immigration authorities not to let the guru, who celebrated his 15th birthday last week, leave the country for the time being.
Arthur Brigham, a disciple from Denver, Colo., who serves as the movement's public relations director, said the guru had voluntarily surrendered the passport to help with the investigation which he termed a routine check of where the guru has been.
Informed Indian sources said, however, the guru's passport was taken to prevent his leaving the country. If authorities wanted to note the countries he had visited, they added, all that had to be done was to make a list of visas.
The guru himself denied any personal connection with the briefcase that contained the money and jewelry.