Indore: Self-styled spiritual guru Bhaiyyuji Maharaj committed suicide by shooting self at his residence in Silver Springs here on Tuesday.

Maharaj fired from his licensed gun at his right temple. He was rushed to Indore’s Bombay Hospital, where he was declared dead, DIG Harinarayanachari Mishra told Times of India.

The police have recovered the suicide note and pistol from the spot. Inspector General of Police, Makrand Deoskar said all aspects of the case are being investigated and his family members will also be questioned.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted condoling the demise of Bhaiyyuji Maharaj.

Sources close to Bhaiyyu Maharaj claim that he was in a state of depression for some time. His first wife, Madhavi, had passed away in November 2015. He had remarried Dr Ayushi Sharma, a native of Shivpuri, on April 30, 2017.

Following his first wife’s death, rifts had been reported between him and his daughter born from his first wife, sources said.

Born in 1968 in Shujalpur, Bhaiyyuji Maharaj, whose real name is Udai Deshmukh, hailed from a landlord family. He was a model, before he started practising spirituality while living a normal married life.

He had been desisting from attending public functions for last one-and-half years and had been concentrating on working for nation building and uplift of farmers, by running several social projects in Maharashtra.

Bhaiyyuji Maharaj had brokered a solution leading to Anna Hazare ending his hunger strike for Lokpal Bill in August 2011.

The Madhya Pradesh government had recently included him in a committee of saints formed for conservation of river Narmada. He was offered a state minister status + , which he had refused.

Bhaiyyuji Maharaj had escaped from an alleged attack on his car at Ranjangoan Road near Pune on May 8, 2016, when he was returning to Indore after meeting his daughter. Some attackers pelted stones at his car.

The spiritual guru, who is known to hold a strong clout among politicians across the country, came to limelight in August 2011, when he brokered a solution leading to Anna Hazare ending his hunger strike for Lokpal Bill.

His death sent a shockwave among his followers, who gathered in large numbers at the hospital to know about his wellbeing. Police were deployed in strength to prevent any flare-up.