who was the rajneeshees lawyer?

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Who are the Rajneeshees on trial?

Two former high-ranking Rajneeshees, Sally-Anne Croft and Susan Hagan, are on trial in U.S. District Court on charges of conspiring to kill Turner. ^ "FED: Perth-born Orange follower avoids jail over US kill plot".

Who was Rajneesh?

Yes, a Guru Did Move to the Middle of Oregon Rajneesh — born in India around 1932 — came to America in 1981 already the leader of an eponymous religious group that he had founded in 1974, in Poona, India.

What was the sentence for the Rajneesh murder case?

Eight perpetrators received sentences ranging from five years' probation to five years in federal prison and an additional member of the Rajneesh commune pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy.

What happened to Sheela Rajneesh?

Sheela, long the group’s public face during Rajneesh’s years of silence, abruptly left the ranch in 1985 and later pleaded guilty in connection with the large-scale poisoning, among other charges, for which she served about two years in prison.

Who was the attorney who led the Rajneesh movement 1980s Oregon carrying out the orders of guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh?

Philip ToelkesRajneeshee attorney Swami Prem Niren (Philip Toelkes) argued before the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in November 1985 that the financial situation of the Rajneesh organization was such that it would take time to sell off assets to raise capital.

Do the Rajneeshees still exist?

The people were allowed to come and go as they pleased as long as they did not hurt anybody. In the last week of September 1985, after Sheela had fled in disgrace, Rajneesh declared that the religion of "Rajneeshism" and "Rajneeshees" no longer existed, and that anything bearing the name would be dismantled.

What former U of O president was a target of the rajneeshee when he was the state's attorney general?

In 1985, a group of high-ranking Rajneeshees, followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (later known as Osho), conspired to assassinate Charles Turner, the then-United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Where is Ma Prem hasya now?

Death. She had Parkinson's disease for the seven years preceding her death on August 19, 2014, at the home of her daughter, Erika Glazer. She is buried under the name of Francoise “Hasya” Ruddy in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Los Angeles.

Who is Osho wife?

Ma Anand Sheela (born 28 December 1949 as Sheela Ambalal Patel in India, also known as Sheela Birnstiel and Sheela Silverman) is an Indian-born Swiss woman who was the spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement (aka Osho movement)....Ma Anand SheelaTerm1981–1985MovementRajneesh (Osho)Criminal statusSentence served10 more rows

How many Rolls Royce does Osho have?

He also gained public notoriety for amassing a large collection of Rolls-Royce cars, eventually numbering 93 vehicles.

Why did Osho followers wear red?

The guru had required that shades of red be worn by his followers at all times to represent the colors of the sunrise. Ma Prem Hasya, Rajneesh's new personal secretary, said elimination of the requirements will help disciples who had trouble with the rules because of relatives, work situations or other problems.

Where is Ma Anand Sheela now?

SwitzerlandThese days, the now 71-year-old Sheela goes by Sheela Birnstiel, having taken the name of her late husband, Urs Birnstiel. She lives in Switzerland, where she has resided since the late 1980s. And though her life in Europe has been much quieter than it was in the States, it hasn't been completely free from drama.

How long was Sheela imprisoned?

39 monthsShe was accused of crimes like attempted murder, wiretapping, and mass poisoning for which she pleaded guilty in 1986 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Though, she was released on parole for good behaviour after serving 39 months in jail.

What happened to Ma Yoga Vivek?

She left her body on Dec 9th, 1989. "Perhaps he [Osho] could have hung on still longer – but just before his birthday celebration in December [1989] Vivek was found dead in a Bombay hotel room.

What happened to the lawyer in Wild Wild Country?

No legal charges were ever filed against Toelkes, he continues to practice law, and he remains loyal to Osho.

What happened to Jane Stork?

Stork served time in jail but later lived in exile in Germany for 16 years, after a German court had denied extradition to the United States. She returned to the U.S. to face criminal charges after learning of her son's terminal cancer condition.

What happened to the Rajneeshees?

The ambitious commune collapsed amid murder plots, a poisoning attack, political intimidation and illegal wiretaps, and the city-in-the-making was abandoned.

Where are the Sannyasins now?

The Sannyasin Take Andrea, a sannyasin who lived at Rajneeshpuram for three years starting in 1983, and now lives in Hillsboro and works at a food cooperative. “I think most who were at the ranch and who saw the documentary wish there were more stories from people who were worker bees.

Is Osho still alive?

January 19, 1990Osho / Date of death

Who was Rajneesh's personal secretary?

In May 1985, Rajneesh's personal secretary and second-in-command, Sheela Silverman ( Ma Anand Sheela ), gathered the leader's key followers and formed a group of conspirators in order to consider what to do with the growing concern of Turner's continuous involvement with the Ranch.

Who was the doctor who killed Rajneesh?

Catherine Jane Stork was convicted of the attempted murder of Rajneesh's physician Dr. George Meredith (Swami Devaraj) in 1986, and served almost three years in jail. After her release, agents from the FBI uncovered the plot to assassinate Turner, but Stork had already fled to Germany.

What was Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh's sentence?

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh paid a fine of US$400,000, agreed to plead guilty to immigration fraud, and was deported from the United States. He agreed to leave the United States and not return unless given permission first from the United States Attorney General.

Why did Ma Anand Sheela travel to New York?

Ma Anand Sheela and three other Rajneesh followers traveled to New York in the spring of 1985 to acquire false identification. According to a federal indictment, the perpetrators of the assassination plot used a false birth certificate to purchase guns. Two members of the group then traveled to Texas to purchase handguns.

Who was the congressman who said the Rajneeshees were involved in the bioterror attack

On February 28, 1985, Congressman James H. Weaver gave a speech in the United States House of Representatives in which he asserted that the Rajneeshees were involved in the bioterror attack in Oregon.

Who was the follower of the murder plot?

Catherine Jane Stork volunteered to be the follower who would actually murder Turner, and bought guns and silencers. Stork was known to fellow followers as Ma Shanti Bhadra, and was also one of the three "Big Mammas" in Rajneeshpuram. Sally-Anne Croft (known by followers as Ma Prem Savita), an accountant and the group's Chief Financial Officer, provided money for the purchase of weapons related to the plot. Phyllis Caldwell (Ma Deva Ritka) described in a federal affidavit how members of the murder conspiracy obtained handguns, referring to Catherine Jane Stork and Sally-Anne Croft: "Shanti B went down to Jesus Grove, and Savita gave us several thousand dollars to use to buy guns." Jesus Grove referred to a group of trailers where all the leaders of the Rajneesh commune resided, except for Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

Who was on the hit list for Rajneesh?

The Oregonian was informed in October 1985 by federal law enforcement officials that Leslie L. Zaitz , an investigative journalist who had written a 20-part series on the Rajneesh movement in Oregon, was on a "hit list" which also included Turner and Oregon Attorney General David Frohnmayer.

Where did Rajneeshees buy a hotel?

Rajneeshees—a popular term that adherents disliked—also bought a former women's residence hotel in downtown Portland. Oregonians greeted the development with much bemusement, some support, and rapidly growing distaste.

Where did Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh live?

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, a spiritual teacher who developed a substantial international following in Pune, India, decided in 1981 to relocate to the United States. While investigating possible sites, he and his chief lieutenant, Ma Anand Sheela, visited the 64,000-acre Muddy Ranch in southern Wasco County, decided that it was ...

What was Sheela accused of?

They were accused of arson, wiretapping, attempted murder, and the planting of salmonella bacteria in the salad bars of several restaurants in The Dalles, sickening 750 people. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh denounced Sheela, then left the community by chartered plane in October, perhaps in an attempt to flee from prosecution.

Why was Rajneesh convicted?

In the ’90s, two British followers of Rajneesh were convicted for conspiring to murder a U.S. attorney general in retaliation for his investigation of the group. By that point, however, Rajneesh himself had already died in India, where he relocated after being deported from America after a criminal guilty plea.

What city did the Rajneeshes own?

Such seeming friendliness faded as the Rajneeshes pushed first to incorporate their ranch as its own city, Rajneeshpuram, and then — through quirks in the state’s election laws — used their numbers to take control of Antelope’s city council, at one point officially renaming it after their leader.

What happened to the Rajneesh ranch?

Against this social and political conflict came more serious altercations: In 1983, a Portland hotel owned by the group was bombed by an Islamic militant (though no one was killed) while in 1984, hundreds of residents of the Wasco County seat where the Rajneesh ranch was located became ill from salmonella infections.

Why did Rajneesh infect the Dalles?

Later investigation discovered that 10 restaurants in The Dalles had had their salad bars infected by followers of Rajneesh in an attempt to suppress voter turnout and ensure the group could gain seats on the county commission.

How many people were in Rajneesh?

At various points the commune was described as housing approximately 1,400, 3,500 and 5,000 people; with Rajneesh representatives maintaining to media that there were some 200,000 followers worldwide. RAJNEESHEES.

What colors did Rajneeshees wear?

His followers, also called Rajneeshees, wore only clothes in the sun-like colors of red, orange and purple. Meanwhile the Bhagwan was known for most of his years in Oregon for his daily appearances in one of his many Rolls-Royces, reportedly owning between a few dozen and as many as 91.

Where is Shree Rajneesh's commune?

Rajneesh and his thousands of followers made headlines throughout the '80s after opening a large commune in a remote part of Oregon. By Adam Carlson. April 06, 2018 09:36 AM. There are few aspects of the story of the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his Oregon commune that don’t sound too strange to be true.

Who was Rajneesh's husband?

First, her husband, David Burrows, left her. He had been a tenured literature professor at Rutgers University, and the couple had four children together. David met Rajneesh on a trip to India in 1978, and the experience was profound.

What happened to Rajneesh?

Fearing arrest himself, Rajneesh boarded a Lear Jet and tried to flee the country. He was arrested and jailed, and pleaded guilty to immigration crimes in exchange for a big fine and deportation. State and federal investigators rushed in, and once-loyal insiders easily flipped.

Where did Rancho Rajneesh live in 1984?

In 1984, as a rookie reporter in Trenton, New Jersey, I convinced my editors to send me to Rancho Rajneesh on assignment. At the time, the Rajneeshees were slipping into Trenton and other cities and enticing hundreds of homeless men and women to move across the country to Bhagwan’s Oregon paradise.

When did Rajneesh die?

On the pages of fan websites still dedicated to Rajneesh — he died in 1990 and is now known as “Osho” — the reviews are pouring in. “Watched four parts already. Even worse than I thought,” former sannyasin Dorothee Bull writes on a pro-Rajneesh Facebook page. “Bhagwan was a politician playing the power game.”.

Who was Bhagwan's top aide?

Bhagwan’s top aide, the vicious Ma Anand Sheela, quit and ran off to Europe under a cloud. After a three-and-a-half-year period of self-imposed silence, an enraged Bhagwan gathered the media to denounce her. “Sheela and her group tried to kill three people,” Bhagwan said. “These people are absolute criminals.”.

How old was Dara when she started wearing Bhagwan's picture?

The 18-year-old had become a follower of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and started wearing Bhagwan’s photo around her neck. Over the next few years, Dara and thousands like her would travel to rural Oregon with Rajneesh, and build a sprawling commune in his name.

Who was Rajneesh's secretary?

Rajneesh’s right-hand person and secretary was Ma Anand Sheela. She instantly became devoted to Rajneesh after meeting him when she was just 16 years old. She helped convince him to come to America and managed the commune while also being the president of the Rajneesh Foundation International.

Why was Rajneesh arrested?

Several years after opening the large ranch for his followers, Rajneesh was arrested on charges of immigration fraud. After his trial, he immediately left for India and changed his name to Osho. He spent the rest of his life in several countries before his death in 1990. [1]

Why did Rajneeshees do dynamic meditation?

Dynamic meditation was performed every day by the Rajneeshees to get them out of their heads and bodies. There were four phases of the mediation that gave the followers the experience that their minds were leaving their bodies.

What are some interesting facts about Rajneesh?

fact checked by Jamie Frater. The Rajneesh movement made its way to Oregon in 1981 and was led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. The religious cult made national news after engaging in immigration fraud, busing homeless people to their commune, and perpetrating the largest bioterrorism ...

What did the Rajneeshpuram people want?

The people of Rajneeshpuram wanted to take over the local government, and another one of their crazy plans to do so would be more harmful than shipping homeless people in and out of their town. Since they didn’t have enough people to swing the votes their way, they decided they would take out their competition. After conducting an inspection of the ranch, Wasco County Executive William Hulse and Commissioner Raymond Matthew became ill. They had drunk ice water from the commune that had traces of salmonella in it.

How much did Rajneesh's Rolls Royces sell for?

The cars were in mint condition and had very few miles on them because Rajneesh drove a different one each day. The cars were sold for anywhere from $60,000 to $265,000 a piece.

When did Rajneesh movement end?

The group had several disagreements with neighboring cities and the authorities before the community was disbanded in the mid-1980s. More recently, interest in the Rajneesh movement has been reignited by the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country. Here are ten shocking facts about the Rajneesh movement.

Who was the leader of Rajneesh's group?

Source: Sueddeutsche. 4. Headed by Ma Anand Sheela, a group of Rajneeshis allegedly contaminated 10 salad bars in and around Antelope with Salmonella, poisoning over 750 people.

How many sham marriages did Rajneeshees arrange?

Rajneeshees apparently arranged over 400 sham marriages to evade US immigration laws. This was termed as the 'largest recorded marriage fraud in USA', one of the major accusations against Bhagwan Rajneesh and his commune. Source: Vanity Fair. 7.

Why was Rajneeshpuram wiretapped?

Rajneeshpuram was allegedly methodically wiretapped, for the Rajneeshees feared the leak of vital information. Unknown to those in the commune, Sheela had established a secret listening post near the commune's telephone center & all calls into and out of Rajneeshpuram were tapped. Source: Pinterest. 6.

What drugs did Bhagwan Rajneesh use?

Bhagwan Rajneesh was addicted to drugs, as revealed by former Rajneeshees in various interviews. He used drugs, particularly valium and nitrous oxide, on a regular basis, to deal with the pain of various health issues.

What was Rajneeshpuram known for?

Here are 10 notorious things that happened in and around Rajneeshpuram: 1. Bhagwan Rajneesh allegedly owned over 90 Rolls Royces .

How many Rolls Royces did Bhagwan Rajneesh own?

Bhagwan Rajneesh allegedly owned over 90 Rolls Royces . A man fond of luxuries, he'd famously drive around the area in his favourite car while his devotees would stand on the road in massive cues waiting to catch a glimpse of the guru. Source: The Plaid Zebra. 2.

How many homeless people were invited to Rajneeshpuram?

Ma Anand Sheela invited over 3000 homeless people to Rajneeshpuram but without their knowledge, they were all allegedly kept drugged with Haldol. This was done as part of a strategy to overthrow the then Wasco Country government by getting the homeless people registered as voters.

Who was Rajneesh's chief of staff?

Resettling in Oregon was the work of his chief of staff, Ma Anand Sheela, then 31 years old. She was a native of India, born to a privileged family as Sheela Patel.

What did Rajneeshee leaders do to strike at government authority?

To strike at government authority, Rajneeshee leaders considered flying a bomb-laden plane into the county courthouse in The Dalles -- 16 years before al-Qaida used planes as weapons. And power struggles within Rajneeshee leadership spawned plans to murder even some of their own.

What did the Rajneeshees do to 1000 Friends?

In turn, the Rajneeshees portrayed 1000 Friends as a pawn of powerful political interests. They considered the environmental group an enemy, more interested in crushing a religion than protecting land. They named their sewage lagoon after the group's executive director. Their fight would rage on for years.

What compound did Rajneesh live in?

They and a handful of other sannyasins served Rajneesh in his fenced compound called Lao Tzu. Their independence irritated commune leaders, but especially peeved Sheela.

Where was the Rancho Rajneesh?

Their destination: Rancho Rajneesh, a spiritual encampment 200 miles away in eastern Oregon. It was base for Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, a guru from India, and 2,000 of his worshippers. The murder scheme was just one of many increasingly desperate attempts to save the guru's empire. The Rajneeshees had been making headlines in Oregon for four years. ...

When did Rajneeshees move to Oregon?

The first contingent of Rajneeshees quietly moved to Oregon in summer 1981, but they couldn't escape notice for long. Part of the guru's brand was clothing in reddish hues. Such dress was out of place in the blue denim reaches of Oregon.

What happened to Sheela's list of people on and off the ranch?

She split up the Hollywood group, scattering them to separate homes around the ranch. She tried to replace the guru's doctor.

Who is the lawyer for Rajneeshee?

But amid the pranks and picnicking, Rajneeshee attorneys have taken a stricter view of judicial protocol when it suited them. The movement’s top lawyer – Prem Niren, 40, a Tigard native also known as Philip J. Toelkes – was asked to produce a diary during a February 27, 1984, deposition at which Sheela was the witness.

Who was the judge who chastised Rajneeshees?

Rajneesh. U.S. District Court Judge Owen M. Panner recently chastised a gaggle of Rajneeshees – including Anand Sheela, 35, the guru’s Indian-born personal secretary and president of his church – for making faces and offensive gestures at witnesses during a trial.

How many employees does Rajneesh Legal Services Corp have?

Rajneesh Legal Services Corp., with eight employees and a host of volunteer “paralegals,” does most of the movement’s courtroom work. Its caseload has steadily grown since July 1981, when the Rajneeshees bought the 64,229-acre Big Muddy Ranch and renamed it Rancho Rajneesh.

What was the name of the organization that sued Mary Mochary?

On November 24, 1981, Rajneesh Foundation International – then still operating in New Jersey – and nine sannyasins sued Montclair Mayor Mary Mochary for defamation and slander. The suit, filed in Essex County District Court in Newark, asked for $5,000 in damages.

When did the Rajneeshee case end?

Several Rajneeshee plaintiffs dropped out of the case in late 1983 , a jury ruled against Quick’s claims on August 24, 1984, and Circuit Judge Richard L. Unis dismissed the entire case January 15, 1985.

Where did Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh live?

Disciples of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, 53, the Indian guru who left his homeland to settle on a Central Oregon ranch in 1981, have been a markedly peculiar presence in the legal arena – and not just because of their maroon three-piece suits and the religious necklaces they wear.

Who was Sheela's husband?

She was made the defendant in a Multnomah County Circuit Court suit filed April 29, 1983, on behalf of the three principal Rajneeshee corporations and three sannyasin VIPs – Sheela, Karuna and Sheela’s husband, Prem Jayananda, 44, a former New York City bank officer also known as John Joseph Shelfer.

Overview

Philip John Toelkes, also known as Swami Prem Niren and Philip Niren Toelkes, is an American lawyer and follower of Rajneesh who served as the second mayor of Rajneeshpuram from 1985 until the commune's disbandment in 1986. He served as the personal Lawyer of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

Planning

Prosecutions

See also

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