6 bodies at Indian guru's ashram

Debris is strewn around Rampal Maharaj's ashram. Police clashes with the guru's supporters as they tried to arrest him.

• Police want to arrest a 63-year-old guru who hasn't shown up for court


• They clashed with his followers on Tuesday, leaving scores of people injured


• The ashram authorities handed over six dead bodies Wednesday


• Police say they believe the people died of illness; they will undergo autopsies

New Delhi (CNN) -- The followers of an Indian guru handed over six dead bodies to police Wednesday, a day after the two sides clashed at the spiritual leader's sprawling ashram, authorities said.

But police said they believed the people had died from illness and a lack of medical care, not as a result of the violence.

Supporters of the guru, Rampal Maharaj, fought pitched battles Tuesday with police officers who were trying to storm the ashram complex to arrest him on charges of murder and contempt of court, said regional administrative commissioner M.L. Kaushik.

Tensions between police and the guru's supporters started some 10 days ago when the followers didn't let officers arrest him, the commissioner said. The situation began to escalate, culminating in the full-blown clashes Tuesday.

An ashram is a secluded place where a Hindu religious community stays for days or weeks for spiritual learning, meditation and worship.

Several security personnel were injured in the clashes with the guru's followers, who fired shots and pelted police with stones at the site in the northern state of Haryana, police said.

Television footage showed hundreds of police in riot gear aiming water cannons and tear gas at stone-throwing crowds. As many as 85 of Rampal's followers were hurt, authorities said.

The situation was reported to be calmer Wednesday.

After the clashes, thousands of the supporters left the ashram overnight and into Wednesday, police said. Early Wednesday afternoon, they estimated that about 5,000 people remained inside the 2 1/2 acre complex.

Police said the six dead bodies, with no visible signs of injury, were handed to them by the ashram authorities.

"We believe they were sick and died because of lack of medical attention on time," Kaushik said.

The bodies will undergo autopsies at a nearby hospital to determine the cause of death.

Rampal, 63, is a worshiper of Kabir, a 15th-century Indian mystic, according to his website.

Authorities were carrying out arrest orders for him after he had repeatedly failed to appear in court in connection with a 2006 murder case, Kaushik said.

Police say they have surrounded the ashram and ordered its evacuation, cutting off the water and electricity supply. They warned they wouldn't leave until they had arrested Rampal.

Officials at the ashram couldn't immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

CNN's Sugam Pokharel and Harmeet Shah Singh reported from New Delhi, and Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong.