The controversial self-styled godman Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara, spiritual leader of a breakaway Sikh sect based in Dhamiana village in Ropar, passed away on Monday morning.

Aged 61, he was taken to Mohali’s Max Hospital after complaining of a chest pain and suffocation, in the early morning. Doctors declared him brought dead.

His ‘dera’ is situated at Bhaniara village near Nurpur Bedi in Ropar district. He had thousands of followers, mainly among the dalit community.

Bhaniara, survived by his wife and three sons, was an employee of Horticulture Department at a sericulture farm in Asmanpur village.

He was one of the seven children of Tulsi Ram, who was the care taker of two ‘mazars’. After his death, Bhaniara left his job at the Horticulture Department, where he worked as a peon and took over his father's work.

Subsequently, he proclaimed himself as ‘Baba’. He encroached upon a piece of land of the Forest Department and established a dera there.

His fame as a healer spread wide after political leaders, government and judicial officers started visiting his dera. Recognized for his social work, and was even rumoured to feed the wild animals and birds in forests, he soon built a number of deras across the State.

The most famous among his followers were former Union Minister Buta Singh.

Soon, he proclaimed himself to be the incarnate of the Sikhs’ tenth master, Guru Gobind Singh — an action that evoked the then Akal Takht jathedar (head priest) Bhai Ranjit Singh to ex-communicate him from the Sikh panth (community) in 1998.