JOIN USSIT formed to probe UP seer's 'suicide'; disciples booked for abetment of suicide
Three disciples of top seer and All India Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri, who died allegedly by suicide on Monday evening, were booked on charges of abetment of suicide and were taken into custody by the police.
A special investigation team (SIT) was formed to probe the alleged suicide of the Mahant, who was found hanging inside his room at Baghamabri Mutt in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj town, about 200 kilometres from here.
An alleged eight-page ''suicide note'' was recovered from his room, according to the police sources.
A section of the seers demanded a CBI probe into the 'suicide' and sources said that the state government was considering recommending a probe by the premier investigating agency.
A senior police official said in Prayagraj that Mahant had accused three disciples of his of 'harassing' him. ''I have lived my life with dignity but now I am being harassed and forced to life of humiliation,'' he reportedly wrote in the alleged note.
Sources said that Narednra Giri mentioned the names of the disciples, who, he said, had been harassing him. One of the disciples, identified as Anand Giri was detained in Haridwar town in Uttarakhand while two others, identified as Adya Tewari and Sandeep Tewari, were taken into custody from Prayagraj. All three were booked under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (abetment of suicide).
Sources said that Narendra Giri and his disciple Anand Giri had been having some dispute and that Anand Giri had been expelled from the Baghambari Mutt recently. Anand Giri, however, claimed that he had tendered an apology to the Akhara Parishad president and the issue had been resolved.
Narendra Giri enjoyed considerable clout among the seers and politicians, especially from the BJP, including ministers, used to make a beeline before his Mutt to meet him and get his blessings.
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