Guru Convinced 400 Men To Castrate Themselves To Be Closer To God

'Guru of Bling' collects testicles for God: An Indian spiritual leader
is accusedof convincing up to 400 followers to remove their testicles,
claiming that by doing so the men would be able to speak directly to
God.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, known as "The Guru in Bling," is accusedof
coercing hundreds of followers to undergo the procedure at a hospital
run by his spiritual organization.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation has reportedlyobtained
statements from victims, saying the castrations took place at a
hospital run by Ram Rahim's organization.

The Sydney Morning Herald reportsofficers from India's elite Central
Bureau of Investigation appear to have made a crucial breakthrough in
the long-running investigation into the alleged mass castrations, last
week gathering important testimony from victims and other witnesses as
they prepare charges of grievous bodily harm against Ram Rahim.

Previously a "cone of silence" has surroundedthe accusations against
the wildly popular guru, who has around 50 million followers
worldwide, and is worth an estimated $50 million.

According to reports, most of the victims feared for their lives if
they dare spoke out against the figure revered by millions.

Ram Rahim Singh and his organization denythat they had anything to do
with the castrations, claiming:

This business of castration is not part of the doctrine ... No such
practice can be attributed to either the guru or our organization.

This is not the first time the guru has been accused of wrongdoing. In
2002, he faced conspiracy charges over the murder of a journalist who
was investigating him, and there have also been allegations of sexual
abuse of female followers.

Adding to Rahim Singh's cult of celebrity, the guru is currently
starring as the lead in a recently made Bollywood film titled "MSG:
Messenger of God." In January, the film opened to a world-record
audience of over 150,000 at a public premiere in Gurgaon, a city just
outside Delhi. The film supposedly shows Ram Rahim breaking a tree
trunk with his bare hands and walking on air, among other miracles.

Photo shows Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, also known as "The Guru in Bling".
--Patheos