UP: Plot by son to kill ashram chief unearthed, 11 held

Mathura: Eleven people, who had gathered in an area allegedly to kill the chief of an ashram, were arrested after an encounter with police personnel, police said on Wednesday. Four of the accused suffered bullet injuries.

Their target was the Kishori Kunj ashram's mahant, Swami Raj, police said and added that it was the mahant's son, Keshav Das, who had tasked them to carry out the killing.

There was a dispute between Swami Raj and his son over the management of the ashram, they said.

On receiving information, a police team surrounded the accused near Panighat in the Vrindavan area on Tuesday night. In the gunfight four of the 11 suffered bullet injuries, they said.

Following the arrests, a car, four firearms, several live and used cartridges, an iron rod, a rope and mobile phones were seized, police said.

ASP (City) Martand Prakash Singh said that the 11 people, who were arrested, had gathered to kill Swami Raj.

Keshav Das, who is incarcerated in a Bihar jail, was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here on Tuesday by the Bihar Police. It was Keshav who had tasked the 11 people to kill his father, Singh said.

The injured have been identified as Bipin, Teetu, Ajai and Raj Sikarwar, police said. Of the 11, four are from Bihar and rest are from Uttar Pradesh, police said.