Former Top Disciple Calls Guru a Liar : Sect Leader’s Lavish Tastes Drove Commune Into Debt, She Says

A former top disciple of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh accuses the controversial Indian guru of being a liar and denies she tried to kill anyone or committed any of the crimes of which he accuses her.

Ma Anand Sheela also said in an interview with the German magazine Stern that she tried to warn the guru that the commune was running out of money. A copy of the interview--her first response to allegations against her by the Bhagwan--was obtained in Portland by television station KGW-TV and parts of it were printed in the Oregonian newspaper.

Rajneesh, who held a two-hour news conference Tuesday night, said that if Sheela were innocent of the accusations he had made against her--arson, theft and attempted murder--she would return to Rajneeshpuram to face him.

Sheela and 15 other Rajneesh leaders left the commune Sept. 14 and 15.

Stern quoted her as denying Rajneesh’s charge that she had created a $55-million debt for the commune by diverting funds to a Swiss bank account.

The weekly magazine also quoted her as saying the commune had gone into debt because of the guru’s desire for Rolls-Royce cars and jewelry.

“The money ($55 million) is gone. I told Bhagwan often enough that we could not afford to buy all those expensive items, autos and such forever, or I would have to take bread away from the people,” Stern quoted her as saying.

Drug Accusations

In an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Sheela claimed the sect’s leaders were using the mind-altering drug Ecstasy to manipulate the disciples. She said the drug had been stockpiled at the 100-square-mile commune in central Oregon.

When told of her charges, Rajneesh answered, “Nonsense. There are no drugs whatsoever in this community. Drugs are against awareness.” He said a dog is used to sniff people for drugs when they arrive at the commune.

“I don’t need any drugs, I’m 24 hours in ecstasy on the real thing,” he said. “I have never heard of the drug named Ecstasy.”

Sheela told Stern that her disenchantment with Rajneesh began 1 1/2 years ago when he asked her to get him a $2.5-million diamond watch and quoted him as saying he should have the watch “or I’ll die.”

She called the guru’s statement that millions of dollars were missing from the commune “nonsense.”

When asked if she and others tried to poison the waters of The Dalles as charged by Rajneesh, Sheela responded, “The hell with Bhagwan.”