An Indian spiritual guru, Bhaiyyu Maharaj, known for the massive following he enjoyed in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh districts and among leaders from across the political spectrum,  reportedly shot himself dead at his Indore home on Tuesday.

The model-turned godman, who had played a key role in getting social activist, Anna Hazare to end his 2011 agitation for Lokpal at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and who was invited in 2013 by current prime minister Narendra Modi (then Gujarat CM) to Ahmedabad during his Sadbhavna fast, left behind a suicide note which read :“Somebody should be there to handle the duties of the family. I am leaving to (sic) much stressed out, fed up.”

Two months ago, the 50-year-old Bhaiyyu Maharaj had, along with four other ‘sadhus’, been included by the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in a panel for conservation of the Narmada and offered minister of state status but he had refused, saying, “Posts mean nothing to sadhus.”

Born Uday Sinh Deshmukh, the guru had modelled a brand of clothing before turning to spirituality. Among his followers were Maharashtra’s top leaders, including Devendra Fadnavis, late Vilasrao Deshmukh and the Thackeray family.

Former Indian president, Pratibha Patil and singer, Lata Mangeshkar were frequent visitors to his temple.
Reports say Maharaj’s household was expecting the arrival of Kuhu, his daughter from his first wife, at 12.30pm on Tuesday.

At 12.15pm, the godman went to Kuhu’s study, sat on her beanbag, and then got up and shut the door. Moments later, a gunsshot was heard.

“The room was locked from inside. Apart from his mother and wife (Ayushi), three servants were present in the house.They broke open the door and rushed him to hospital,” Indore Deputy Inspector General, Harinarayanachari Mishra said.

According to Mishra, the second page of the suicide note mentioned Bhaiyyu Maharaj’s last wish in which he handed over responsibility of his assets and property to his close associate, Vinayak, who has been working with him for decades. 

Forensic experts found one bullet which had apparently gone through his head at the crime scene, while on the desk were his last words, scrawled and signed on a spiral notepad.

Sources close to the guru said he had been suffering from depression for some time. His first wife, Madhavi passed away in November 2015 after which he married Dr Ayushi Sharma, a native of Shivpuri on April 30, 2017.Only a few minutes before his suicide, the guru had posted a tweet on Mahashivratri. In his last message at his Indore ashram, he wrote on a blackboard: ‘Trust is everything to a person/if that is broken, there is no bigger downfall’.

Bhaiyyu Maharaj was declared dead at Indore’s Bombay Hospital, where hundreds of followers gathered.