New Delhi:Controversial godmanChandraswami - close friend of Prime Minister PV NarasimhaRao and allegedly involved in the assassination of his predecessor Rajig Gandhi — died here on Tuesday.Chandraswami, who had suffered a stroke, died at the Apollo Hospital at the age of 66. "Spiritual leader JagadacharyaChandraswamiji, 66 years old, had been ailing for some time. He recently suffered a stroke," a hospital statement said. It said a multi-organ failure led to his death at 2.56 pm.

Chandraswami's alleged role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi came up before the Milap Chand Jain commission, which had been set up to probe the conspiracy behind the killing. The panel devoted an entire volume to the godman. Named Nemi Chand, Chandraswami was a Jain who worshipped the Hindu goddess, Ma Kali. His money lender father, originally from Behror in Rajasthan, moved to Hyderabad when Chandraswami was a child. Chandraswami, who started dabbling in horoscopes when he was young, soon shot to fame as an astrologer.
He wielded enormous power during the regime of then Prime Minister P.V. NarasimhaRao and was seen as one of Rao's trusted aides and advisers. Soon after Rao became the Prime Minister in 1991, following Gandhi's assassination in Tamil Nadu, Chandraswami is said to have built an ashram known as 'VishwaDharmayatanSanathan' in Delhi's Qutb Institutional Area. The land for the ashram was said to have been allotted to the organisation by Indira Gandhi.
Often mired in controversy, his name cropped up in investigations into Rajiv Gandhi's death in a bomb blast executed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). According to reports, the Jain Commission was told that Chandraswami, through his wide international links and involvement in major arms and financial deals, arranged the funds for the LTTE. The commission was told the self-styled godman had every reason to play a crucial role in the conspiracy as he was arrested during Rajiv Gandhi's regime and was not allowed to go abroad, reports said. The commission had directed that his role be further probed.