Supreme Court grants bail to accused in Mahant Narendra Giri death case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted bail to Aadya Prasad Tiwari, an accused in the high-profile 2021 death of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad head Mahant Narendra Giri, while noting that the trial was likely to take time to conclude.

Giri, the president of the largest organisation of seers in India, was found hanging at the Baghambari Mutt in Allahabad by his disciples on September 20, 2021.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in its chargesheet filed in November 2021, said Giri was under such "grave mental trauma" from his estranged disciple Anand Giri, priest Aadya Prasad Tiwari and his son Sandeep Tiwari that he ended his life to "avoid defamation and insult" in the eyes of society.

On Monday, a bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma granted bail to Aadya Prasad Tiwari by setting aside the Allahabad High Court order of October 14, 2025, declining the relief.

Noting that the CBI, which proposed to examine as many as 150 witnesses, has examined only three so far, the bench said the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future.

"It is, therefore, clear that the trial is likely to take time to conclude. Even otherwise, the appellant does not appear to be the principal accused. In view thereof, we are of the considered opinion that further detention of the appellant pending trial is not necessary.

"The appeal, thus, deserves acceptance and the appellant may be admitted to an order for grant of bail," it ordered while setting aside the impugned HC judgment.

The top court bench said that the appellant had been in custody since September 22, 2021, and his further detention pending trial was not necessary. It also observed that, based on the records, the appellant "does not appear to be the principal accused" in the matter.

An FIR in the case was registered on September 21, 2021, at the George Town Police Station of Prayagraj district.

While Tiwari was initially arrested under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code, the subsequent chargesheet filed on November 18, 2021, invoked murder (Section 302) and criminal conspiracy charges (Section 120).

While allowing the plea, the bench warned the appellant against making any inducement, threat, or promise to any witness.

It asked Tiwari to attend all trial proceedings diligently unless specifically exempted. The Supreme Court bench granted the trial court the liberty to cancel the bail should any of the conditions be breached.

The CBI, during the probe, recovered a video of the Mahant, recorded before he allegedly killed himself, in which he claimed that Anand Giri was going to release an "edited video" showing him in an objectionable position with a woman.

The chargesheet accused Anand Giri, the priest of Bade Hanuman Mandir in Allahabad, Adhya Prasad Tiwari and Sandeep Tiwari of abetment to suicide and criminal conspiracy.