Ma Anand Sheela

Ma Anand Sheela (born 28 December 1949 as Sheela Ambalal Patel in India, also known as Sheela Birnstiel and Sheela Silverman) is an Indian-Swiss woman who was the spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement (aka Osho movement). In 1986, she was convicted for attempted murder and assault for her role in the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack.

As the secretary of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh from 1981 through 1985, she managed the Rajneeshpuram ashram in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. In 1986, she pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault for her role in the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack. She received a four and a half year sentence in July 1986 in federal prison. She was released for good behaviour and deported to West Germany after 29 months. Sheela later moved to Switzerland, where she married, and purchased two nursing homes. In 1999, she was convicted by a Swiss court of "criminal acts preparatory to the commission of murder" in relation to a plot to kill US federal prosecutor Charles Turner in 1985, and she was sentenced to time served.

Early life and education

Sheela was born Sheela Ambalal Patel in 1949 at Baroda, in Gujarat State, India, the youngest of six children of the Gujarati couple Ambalal and Maniben Patel. At age 18, she moved to the United States and attended Montclair State College in New Jersey.

Career

Rajneesh movement

In 1981, Rajneesh appointed her as his personal assistant. In the same year, she convinced Rajneesh to leave India and establish an ashram in the United States. Carus 2002, p. 51. Tucker 2000, p. 116. In July 1981, Rajneesh Foundation International purchased the Big Muddy Ranch in Wasco County, Oregon, which became the site for the development of the Rajneeshpuram commune. Oregon Historical Society, 2002 She was appointed the president of Rajneesh Foundation International, managed the commune and met daily with Rajneesh to discuss business matters. Tucker 2000, p. 119. McCann 2006, p. 153. According to Sheela, Rajneesh was complicit in and directed her involvement in criminal acts she and a group of Rajneeshees committed later. Wellman 2007, p. 171.

Rajneeshee bioterror attack

By 1984, the ashram was coming into increasing conflict with local residents and the Wasco County Board of Commissioners. Carter 1990, pp. 124, 165, 195, 237. Sheela attempted to have both Rajneeshee candidates for the two open seats on the Wasco County Board of Commissioners win the November election. Carus 2002, p. 52. Tucker 2000, p. 123. She had hundreds of homeless people bused into the ashram, and she had them registered as voters in Wasco County. Later, when the local election board rejected the voter registrations, McCann 2006, p. 154. Sheela conspired to use "bacteria and other methods to make people ill" and prevent them from voting. Carus 2002, p. 53. McIsaac 2006, p. 25. She had salmonella put into salad bars at ten restaurants in The Dalles, Oregon; about 750 people became ill with salmonella poisoning. Kahn 2009, p. 41. Goldwag 2009, p. 44.

On September 13, 1985, Sheela fled to Europe. McPheters, p. 152. A few days later Rajneesh "accused her of arson, wiretapping, attempted murder, and mass poisonings." He also asserted that Sheela had written the book titled ''Rajneeshism'' and published it under his name. Collins 2002, p. 118. Subsequently, Sheela's robes and 5,000 copies of the ''Book of Rajneeshism'' were burned in a bonfire at the ashram. The book, published in 1983, included edited excerpts from Rajneesh's lectures. It lists no other author on its title page; its editor is given as "Academy of Rajneeshism."

After US authorities searching her home found wire-tapping networks and a laboratory in which the bacteria used in the attack had been grown, Sheela was arrested in West Germany in October 1985. She was extradited to the US in February on charges of immigration fraud Kushner 2002, p. 307 and attempted murder. The Oregon Attorney General prosecuted for crimes related to the poisoning of Commissioner Matthew and Judge Hulse Tucker 2000, p. 136. while the US Attorney prosecuted crimes related to the restaurant poisonings. Sheela pleaded guilty on 22 July 1986 to first-degree assault and conspiracy to commit assault against Hulse and later to second-degree assault and conspiracy to commit assault against Matthew. She pleaded guilty to setting fire to a county office and wire-tapping at the commune. For these crimes, Sheela was sentenced to three 20-year terms in federal prison, McIsaac 2006, p. 26. ultimately reduced to 4 and a half years, to be served concurrently. In addition she was fined $470,000. Miller 2002, p. 32.

Sheela was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, for female criminals. While there, she announced plans to make a "controversial documentary" about her life. In December 1988, she was released on good behavior after serving 29 months and deported to West Germany. Sheela later moved to Switzerland. Carter 1990, p. 237.

Later life

Sheela married Swiss citizen Urs Birnstiel, a fellow Rajneesh follower. She moved to Maisprach, Switzerland, where she bought and managed two nursing homes. Miller 2002, p. 337.

In 1999, she was convicted by a Swiss court for "criminal acts preparatory to the commission of murder", in relation to a plot to kill US federal prosecutor Charles Turner in 1985. The Swiss government refused to extradite her to the US, but it agreed to try her in Switzerland. She was found guilty of the equivalent Swiss charge, and she was sentenced to time served.

Personal life

Sheela married Marc Harris Silverman, an American from Highland Park, Illinois, Carter 1990, p. 47. and took the name Sheela P. Silverman. McCann 2006, p. 152. She returned to India in 1972 to pursue spiritual studies with her husband. They became disciples of the Indian guru Rajneesh and Sheela took the name Ma Anand Sheela. Carter 1990, p. 277. After her husband died, Sheela married a fellow Rajneesh follower, John Shelfer. After prison, Sheela married Urs Birnstiel, a Swiss citizen, who died of AIDS shortly after their marriage.

David Berry Knapp, aka Swami Krishna Deva, former mayor of Rajneeshpuram, told the FBI in his testimony that “Sheela told him during a trip to India which they took in 1985, that she had injected her first husband arc Harris Silvermanwith an injection that caused his death.”

Media and documentaries

In 2018, the documentary ''Wild Wild Country'' was released, which included interviews with Sheela. On July 20, 2018, 'BBC Stories' YouTube channel published a video called ''Wild Wild Country: What happened to Sheela?'' Priyanka Chopra starred as Sheela in Amazon Studios ''Sheela'', a feature film adaptation of ''Wild Wild Country''. Sheela did not want the actress to play her and sent the actress a notice, demanding that she abort the project.

In April 2021, a documentary film titled '' Searching for Sheela'' was released on Netflix. The film, produced by Karan Johar, followed her first trip to India after 35 years.

References

Bibliography

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Further reading

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* O'Brien, Paula (2008
The Rajneesh sannyasin community in Fremantle
Master's degree thesis at Murdoch University

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheela, Ma Anand
1949 births
Living people
1984 crimes in the United States
People from Vadodara
Perpetrators of religiously motivated violence in the United States
People convicted of attempted murder
People convicted of assault
Poisoners
Prisoners and detainees of Oregon
Rajneesh movement
People convicted of fraud
Gujarati people