Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology

The Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology, known also simply as SIST, is a secretive fundamentalist Christian-like group based in Shawano, Wisconsin. The group was founded by Rama Behera, a Hindu who converted to Christianity, who later changed his name to Dr. Rama Chandra Samanta Roy. The group has existed in Shawano since the 1970s and was once known as The Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. During that time, the group was responsible for alleged kidnappings by "Deprogrammers" throughout the area. In a 2012 article for the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report magazine, many former members spoke out against SIST for alleged abuses ranging from beatings, torture, starvation, child abuse, and neglect from their leader and their followers.^[1]

The Southern Poverty Law Center labeled SIST as a "general" hate group for its Anti-Catholic beliefs. According to the SPLC, its "general hate" designation covers groups that "...espouse a variety of rather unique hateful doctrines and beliefs that are not easily categorized."^[2]

History

The group was formed sometime in the 1970s by Rama Behera, now known as Avarbram Cohen a hindu born Christian from India . According to some sources, Cohen received a vision from god telling him to spread his word after his conversion to Christianity. He went to college in India and went back to the United States to study nuclear engineering at Columbia University in New York City. He returned to Wisconsin to evangelize in places like Green Bay, eventually settling down in the town of Shawano buying and purchased a piece of property that he later formed the current compound located on Highway 47/55, he named his followers "The disciples of the lord Jesus Christ". In the 1980s, the group was responsible for mass kidnappings in and around the Shawano area by the so called "deprogrammers". The group was the source of many lawsuits and fear promoting throughout the town.^[3]

In 1978, shots were fired at Rama's former house and a pipe bomb exploded in a field near their compound nobody was injured nor nobody was charged with the damage. Behera's followers claimed it to be a "Vatican Conspiracy" and "White Supremacist attack" against their group.^[1]

In 1990, Rama changed his name to Samanta Roy and renamed his group Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology to plan to build a campus for unknown reasons. Roy changed his name to Avraham Cohen after " having drifted theologically toward Judaism",^[1] and has allegedly never spoken to media since 1982. Cohen resides in Pikesville, Maryland.

In the 2000s, the group purchased businesses all throughout the Shawano area including a Gas station, a hotel, a raceway, a few restaurants and a gift shop. Most of them went bankrupt and closed down. The group blamed it on the mayor and the officials of Shawano, referring to them as "Catholic beasts" and "Neo-Nazis". The group has alleged that the mayor of Shawano was planning to destroy SIST and in 2009, a hit list emerged that had 60 people listed one including the mayor herself. The FBI found and told city officials about the list which caused the them to evacuate the town. ^[4]

SIST came to attention of police on June 9, 2010 following an assault in Pikesville, Maryland. The assault led to a barricade of a house in search of a suspect. Neighbors reported that the house had always appeared dark at night. The house was owned by Avraham Cohen, who was reported not to reside at the location. SIST denies this had anything to do with the group and the case went cold. ^[5]

In recent times, the group has been subject to controversy over buying businesses and unpaid taxes. The group's current executive Naomi Issacson still claims SIST "Isn't a religious organization" and has nothing to do with the disciples of the lord Jesus Christ. The group also claims that the scheme is another "Vatican Conspiracy by Mayor Lorna Marquardt and her followers". ^[6]

Many former member spoke out against the group and their alleged abuses, beatings, tortures, forced labor, and various other disturbing incidents. One member, a woman from the group who claimed she was "Zapped" by a cattle prod for disobeying Cohen. Other stories range from child abuse and Cohen controlling his group through mental and physical abuse, from forcing children to cut grass with scissors to children having their heads shaved for disobeying Cohen.

References