Coming as it does nearly 11 months after the swami's mysterious disappearance, the CBI claim that the man was murdered on the same day he was kidnapped on May 3 last has sent shock waves through the many sect followers.

A special investigating team of the CBI from Mumbai stated before the Nadiad Chief Judicial Magistrate on Tuesday that the Swami, who was the chairman of the Laxminarayan Dev Temple Trust Board, was murdered following a criminal conspiracy hatched by functionaries of the temple trust.

The disclosure forms part of a CBI application before the Nadiad court for remand of the temple's assistant kothari Shrinarayan Shastry and another functionary, Vijay Bhagat, who were arrested on Monday night. The application says that the two needed to be interrogated thoroughly in police custody to unravel the conspiracy and get the names of other conspirators. An eight-day remand has been granted.

The CBI said that, fearing that Gadadharanandji would have him divested of the kothari's powers and transferred, Shrinarayan had him killed through one Madhavdas Swamy alias Maddha -- who was promised Rs 5 lakhs for the job -- some time after he had threatened the chief in his room with dire consequences if he was transferred.

Following instructions, Maddha is alleged to have kidnapped the trust chief in his Maruti van on May 3 last, taken him to his house at Lakkad Pitha Vando within the temple premises and strangled him with his sash. Dumping the body in the van, Maddha came back to the temple to fetch Bhagat, seeking his help to dispose of the body. They went to a deserted spot on the highway beyond the Shamlaji border checkpost in Rajasthan, poured petrol on the body and set it on fire. The car was also burnt a couple of days later.

The CBI investigations have revealed there were others involved in the killing of Gadadharanandji. ``It is alleged that Nautam Swami and Prem Swaroop Swami (of Vadtal) were not on good terms with Gadadharanandji. Not only that, Nautam Swamy was desirous (sic) of becoming a Kothari of the Swaminarayan Temple.''

Since Nautam was not made Kothari, the CBI also suspects his involvement in the kidnapping of Gadadharanandji, according to the application. The CBI is also learnt to have questioned Nautam.

In the meantime, the court has rejected the anticipatory bail application of Shrinarayan and Bhagat.

The temple complex was engulfed in anxiety and apprehension as news of the case kept trickling out. Tata Sumos and Marutis zoomed in and out of Vadtal village with saffron-clad priests belonging to different ``lobbies'' of the Trust continuously using their mobile phones. Some of them also consulted their legal advisers to know their rights and duties in such circumstances.