Chandraswami dies at 69 |
India`s controversial Swami named Chandraswami, who died at 69 following multiple-organ failure at a hospital in Delhi, was a larger-than-life presence — in every sense. He was closely linked to two prime ministers of that time, P V Narasimha Rao and Chandra Shekhar, and flaunted his access to two of their predecessors, Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi.He is even said to have used his “tantric” powers to advise former British Prime Minister, the late Margaret Thatcher, to help realise her ambitions. He was also a “friend” to the sultans of Brunei and Bahrain, international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, British businessman Roland `Tiny` Rowland, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and actor Elizabeth Taylor.As reports emerged of his dubious links to Khashoggi in the Iran-Contra arms-running scandal, Chandraswami was charged with violation of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).But his worst time came in 1997, when the Congress party linked Chandraswami to the conspiracy that led to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
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