I don’t know, maybe because they’re deluded under-enlightened “gurus” who think God speaks through them now?

I would never touch a student. I am not aware of any completely and authentically enlightened master (Gautama, Osho, Ramana) who would use physical violence in teaching.

Maybe they wanna teach a little too much? I guess a good beating could invoke a Satori (a temporary glimpse) in some people. Zen is all about a Satori moment, it’s a stupid form of practice. Osho once said that Zen is counter-productive before entering non-duality and I agree. The only real use of Satori is to show you that there’s a destination. It’s not enlightenment, it’s a glimpse, after which a serious student is supposed to keep practicing. If you ask me, beating one up for such a glimpse reveals that the master might have mistaken his own glimpse for enlightenment. There’s no love in it, no respect for the student’s freedom.