Share This Article
Nayi Dilli ke ek posh gated colony mein, har Sunday ek virtual satsang hota tha — “Inner Bloom Sessions.” Wealthy retired bureaucrats, young startup founders, aur bored housewives, sab shaam 7 baje Zoom pe judte the, apne spiritual guru Swami Rithambara ji ki guidance lene.
Us din baarish ho rahi thi. Shailee Bakhshi, ek 28-year-old tech entrepreneur, apne luxury flat ke study room mein sambhal kar apne laptop pe login ki. Aankhon mein stress aur hatheliyon mein kuch bechaini ke saath.
“Jai Gurudev, sabko!” Swami ji muskuraye camera ke saamne. Unka ashram Shimla ke paas tha, par wo kahin bhi jod lete the apne chelon se. Ek rich follower ne unhe ek custom-built digital studio bhi gift kiya tha.
Session shuru hua. Do minute mein, Swami ji beech mein ruk gaye — unka chehra peela pad gaya. “Main thoda uneasy feel kar raha hoon”, woh bole… aur achanak ghiraav ki awaaz ayi. Camera screen black ho gaya.
Zoom breakout room khatam hone ke baad, ashram ke caretaker Anand ka panicked call aaya: “Swami ji ne bathroom mein girkar apni jaan kho di!”
News ne dhamaka macha diya. Google Meet, Zoom chhode sab investigation mein lag gaye. Doctor ne bola ki Swami ji ki maut cardiac arrest se hui. Normal.
Par Shailee ko uneasy laga. Usne archive session ka recording khola. Us waqt ek minute ke liye sab videos glitch kar gaye the — sabko except Swami ji ke — jaise kisi ne screen manipulate ki ho.
Shailee ne apni friend Veer, jo ek cybersecurity consultant tha, ko diya footage check karne ke liye.
Veer ne uncover kiya: koi sophisticated saboteur Zoom ke back-end pe login tha; kisi ne Swami ji ke air purifier ke through slow kusuri poison disperse kiya tha — ek aisa chemical jo carbon monoxide jaise beep na kare, par neurological damage kare. Swami ji ke office air purifier ek smart device tha, remotely hacked.
Killer physically present nahi tha — woh dusre participants ke beech online hi chhupa hua tha.
Shailee suspect list banayi: Riyaan Seth, ek disillusioned VIP follower jispar Swami ji ne paisa rona banaya tha; Dr. Neelakshi Bose, jo apni spiritual practice kholne wali thi; aur Manan Kapoor, tech specialist aur ex-disciple, jo Swami ji ki private life expose karne ki dhamki de chuka tha.
Shailee aur Veer ne guardian server logs nikaale. IP addresses match gaye — Manan Kapoor session se kuch hi ghante pehle shimla ashram ke building automation system mein ghusa tha.
Pramaan milte hi Police ne Manan ko arrest kiya.
Open court mein jab Manan se motive poocha gaya, usne sirf itna kaha, “Jo aadmi digital enlightenment bechta tha, usne meri real zindagi barbad ki. Uska end bhi virtual hona chahiye tha.”
Case close hone ke baad bhi ek sawal Shailee ke dimaag mein ghoomta raha: jab har cheez online hoti hai, asli chehre kab ka chhoot chuke hote hain. Trust aur image, dono manipulated versions hote hain.
Zoom screen ke us paar ka sach kabhi dikhayi nahi deta.
