NEW DELHI, Nov 7: A sparkling silver-coloured Ford Escort steers into a narrow dusty lane in Asola, Mehrauli around 8 pm and stops outside a high wrought-iron gate. Beyond the gate is a single-storeyed inconspicuous structure, housing the ashram of a little known astrologer-cum tantrik.And the special guest, arriving unobtrusively under the cover of darkness, is Chandraswami. Quite a comedown for the controversial `godman', used to palatial luxuries with political leaders and bigwigs fawning all over him.Carrying with him the reputation of a wheeler-dealer and king-maker, tantrik Chandraswami could seemingly make everything possible. But apparently, he needs help to wriggle out of the legal tangles and problems dodging him for quite some time now.So he has gone and found a tantrik for himself - Pandit Madan Lal Rajasthani - tucked away in an unassuming ashram at Asola. Here, the tables seem to have been turned. For, it is Chandraswami, a tantrik of international acclaim, going down on his knees before another, to solve his problems.Clad in his characteristic dhoti, kurta and angavastram, Chandraswami has been seen visiting the astrologer-cum-tantrik regularly for the past three weeks. Sources close to the `godman' disclosed that the troubled tantrik sought out Rajasthani to help him out of the various legal cases against him which include the Rajiv Gandhi assassination and the Lakhubhai Pathak and St Kitt's cases apart from the many Income-Tax and Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) cases.``Swamiji has a lot of faith in Pandit Rajasthani and visits his Asola ashram at least twice a week. He goes and touches Panditji's (Rajasthani) feet who does special Kali Puja for him. Sometimes he is also accompanied by his trusted lieutenant, Vikram. In fact, Panditji had also come to (Chandraswami's) Dharmayatan Trust ashram in Qutub Institutional area on October 27, Swamiji's birthday,'' disclosed one of Chandraswami's aides.The other guests at Chandraswami's birthday bash included former prime minister Chandrashekhar, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, the aide added.When contacted, Vikram denied that he had ever accompanied Chandraswami to the Asola ashram. Then after speaking to Chandraswami himself, Vikram dodged the question of the godman had been visiting the Asola ashram. Instead he said, ``Swamiji says he meets so many people and thus, might have also met Madan Lal Rajasthani. There was some award function at Mehrauli and Swamiji says he might have met him there. Otherwise Swamiji has been very busy, travelling to Mumbai and other places.''Rajasthani also tried to be non-committal and underplayed the godman's visits. ``This is an ashram and its doors are open to everyone,'' he said.
