Akhara Parishad chief suicide: Supreme Court notice to UP govt on plea to shift accused undertrial

Anand Giri, previously Ashok Kumar Chotia, has been facing trial in a criminal case related to abetment to suicide of Mahant Narendra Giri Maharaj, President of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (Sri Lete Hanuman Ji) temple and Mahant of Baghambari Gaddi at Prayagraj on September 20, 2021.

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea by Anand Giri, who claimed to be an internationally acclaimed Yoga guru, seeking his transfer from Chitrakoot jail in Uttar Pradesh to Jabalpur jail in Madhya Pradesh apprehending threat to his life.

Giri, previously Ashok Kumar Chotia, has been facing trial in a criminal case related to abetment to suicide of Mahant Narendra Giri Maharaj, President of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (Sri Lete Hanuman Ji) temple and Mahant of Baghambari Gaddi at Prayagraj on September 20, 2021.

The petitioner, who claimed to be son of the deceased following his 'sanyas', was arrested on September 20, 2021 from Haridwar.

On July 29, 2024, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Prashant Kumar Mishra issued notice to the UP government and the CBI, which investigated the matter, after hearing advocates Prashant Bhushan and Vipin Nair on behalf of the petitioner.

In his writ petition, the petitioner claimed he has been lodged in jail at Chitrakoot with dreaded criminals and apprehended serious threat to his life or severe physical harm over there.

He claimed some people hatched a criminal conspiracy to slap false case against him, as he came to know of land mafia, including politicians, influential people, officials etc, who took undue advantage from sale of land of Baghambari Gaddi and Hanuman Temple and he had made disclosures in this regard from time to time.

He also alleged that he has been denied fair trial in the matter by declining him counsel of his choice or appearance before the court through video conferencing facilities.

The petitioner stated he was first lodged in Naini Central Jail, Allahabad, but, when he complained of ill-treatment, he was declared a dangerous criminal, and, after one year of incarceration, was transferred to Chitrakoot Jail.

His plea claimed he wrote several letters to the district court about Ill treatment being meted out to him in Chitrakoot jail and threat to life being faced by him, no action whatsoever has been taken in the matter.

"Both the Trial Court as well as the Jail Authorities have been acting in an unreasonable manner, contrary to law. The high-handedness of affairs is to such an extent that the trial has been reduced to a sham," it alleged.

Though the petitioner has no criminal antecedents, he has been kept in the category of notorious criminals which is injustice to the applicant and this has been done in order to deprive him of his constitutional rights, it further claimed.

"Since most of the movable and immovable properties belonging to the Math/Temple are assigned in the name of the petitioner, he is a potential target of the unholy nexus which has been eyeing the said properties in order to derive undue benefit out of them, the petitioner claimed.