Swami Bhaktipada

American member of the Hare Krishna religious cult who took the name "Kirtananda Swami Bhaktipada." The 4,000 acre commune was founded over 25 years ago by Bhaktipada, a Baptist minister's son from Peekskill, NY. The commune houses over 300 faithful followers. Ham was implicated in the murder of Steven Bryant (a.k.a. "Sulocana Das") on 5/22/1986, Los Angeles. He was suspected of having ordered the murder. Ham was excommunicated from the Order in early 1987 because of alleged ruthless tactics, an overly independent nature and general callousness to the spiritual well-being of the movement. In 1991 he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for authorizing the beating, kidnapping and cover up of Steven Bryant's death and allegations of neglect and sexual abuse of children in the sect. A federal court order restricts Ham to his apartment in Wheeling, wearing an electronic ankle bracelet, pending the outcome of his appeal. A victim of childhood polio, he walks with the assistance of canes. Mr. Bhaktipada, who was released from prison in 2004 after serving eight years of a 12-year sentence, moved to India in 2008. He died on 24 October 2011 in a hospital near Mumbai. The cause was kidney failure, his brother, Gerald Ham, said. (Source: NYT) Link to Wikipedia biography