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Baghwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian Guru
Rajneesh, was the Indian guru who attracted thousands of followers at his Oregon
commune in the early 1980's before being deported from the United States. The
guru, who moved to India permanently in 1986, was deported from the United
States in 1985 after pleading guilty to violations of the immigration law.
Previously, numerous charges of wrongdoing had been made against him and his
leading disciples.
In 1985,
working as a jailer for the Oklahoma county Jail I booked Raghwan Shree Rajneesh
into the Oklahoma County jail under a phony name of John Washington at the U.S.
Marshals request. The U.S. Marshals left specific information and instructions
concerning the Guru before leaving the jail. Baghwan was big news back then and
nobody was telling anybody his whereabouts at the time due to security reasons.
Baghwan was wearing a white turban on his head with three rows of diamond
looking stones on it, when I asked him if the stones were diamonds, he replied,
no, they are synthetic jewels.
He
appeared very tired and that he answered all of my questions before being sent
back to his assigned cell. Throughout the night he appeared to sleep well in his
quarters.
Due to
the high-profile, sensitivity and security of this prisoner, he was allowed to
sleep in his own cell with his clothing and turban. He was placed under a
special watch until his departure early the next day. A deputy the next day
assisted the jail trustee when cleaning out the Gurus cell for fear that maybe
one of the diamonds had fallen off his turban. When returning the next day for
work, I received a phone call from New York.
The
lady on the phone was requesting information from me as to what occurred during
the time of the Gurus incarceration and that she was writing a book. At the
time she told me what the name of the book was going to be and that she was
going to place my name in it, to this day I cannot remember the name of the
book, or have any idea how she got the information so fast that I had booked the
Guru into our jail.
I
replied that I was not allowed to comment or give out any information. She then
thanked me and hung up. As a jailer, I was shocked to think this guy had so many
followers and had become such big news then. It only showed me that there are
people in the world that will fall prey to any scam or follow any alleged
spiritual leader for whatever cause.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Heitmeyer was born in Phoenix, Arizona and raised in
Paradise Valley. Jim joined the United States Marine Corps and completed his
service to our country. Jim later joined the Oklahoma Army National Guards 745
Military Police Company. Jim served during the Just Cause war in Panama and
Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm. Jim Heitmeyer attained the rank of
sergeant (E5).
Jim Hietmeyer is a retired lieutenant from the Oklahoma
County Sheriff's Office (Oklahoma). After his retirement from the Oklahoma
County Sheriffs Office he worked as a police officer for the Arcadia Police
Department from 2001 through 2004. During his career, he worked as a jailer,
deputy sheriff, CLEET instructor, American Red Cross Instructor, and biohazards
instructor. He is the author of two books under the pen name of Jim Daly:
Lockdown Madness and Behind Steel Doors.
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