Police in Uttar Pradesh say that Hindu leader Mahant Narendra Giri was found dead at his residence in Allahabad on Monday. One of his disciples, Anand Giri, has been detained in neighbouring Uttarakhand.
Narendra Giri was the president of the All India Akhara Parishad, which is the largest organisation of religious Hindu leaders in India. According to Allahabad’s City Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Singh, Giri was found hanging in his room.
Meanwhile, police in Uttarakhand have reportedly detained one of Narendra Giri’s disciples, Anand Giri, after the suicide note mentioned the latter’s name.
ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar said that Anand Giri was detained from Haridwar with the help of the Uttarakhand Police and the UP Police officials were travelling to Uttarakhand to bring him back to the state.
“Police immediately reached the spot, along with the forensic and other teams. A suicide note was recovered in which he accused Anand Giri and two others for this step. Anand Giri has been detained from Haridwar with the help of Uttarakhand Police. UP Police is reaching to take him back and a further probe is underway,” Prashant Kumar was quoted by India Today as saying.
Anand Giri, for his part, denied his role in Narendra Giri’s suicide as he accused ‘police officials, the land mafia’ of being involved. “I will cooperate with the police in the investigation. Guruji was provoked against me. If I am guilty, then I am ready to face punishment. I spoke to guruji 15 days ago,” India Today quoted Anand Giri as saying.
Anand Giri, according to News18, said that Ajay Singh, a police constable living with the Mahant, may be involved in the conspiracy as he named one Manish Shukla, whose ‘marriage was arranged by Mahant ji and a house worth Rs 5 crore was given’
KP Singh, IG Prayagraj said the Mahant’s postmortem and cremation would be conducted on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, several politicians including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav have paid their condolences on the death of Narendra Giri.