12 June 2004 :

Four sadhus and a disciple of the Vadtal Swaminarayan sect were sentenced to death by a Nadiad sessions court in India. The five were convicted of murdering Swami Gadadharanand, chairman of the Vadtal temple committee, in 1998. The murder was seen as part of the power struggle between Acharyas (descendants of the sect founder) and Devs (sadhus) to gain control of the temple's funds which came in the form of donations and offerings. Judge Sitaben Dave, while delivering the death sentence, observed that the accused deserved ''the severest of punishment'' because being men of religion, a superior conduct was expected of them. ''Common men can be expected to have Satanic tendencies but when men of religion indulge in such acts they need to be given the severest punishment,'' ruled the judge. The court also sentenced the accused to 10 years rigorous imprisonment under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and to life imprisonment under Section 364 of the IPC. The accused - Narayan Swami, Shreejisharan swami, Ghanshyam Swami, Madhavprasad Swami and Vijaybhagat Swami - kidnapped Swami Gadadharanand from Navli Gurukul in Anand on May 3, 1998. They mixed sedatives in his soft drink to make him unconscious and then strangled him. The body was taken to Dungarpur in Rajasthan where it was burnt to destroy evidence.