A five-member delegation of Govardhan Math of Puri met the State DGP K B Singh here at the police headquarters on Friday and submitted a memorandum to him urging for immediate execution of the NBW issued by a Puri court against a fake Sanyasi, who was claiming to be the Shankaracharya of Puri.
“The DGP has assured us that he would soon take up the matter with the Puri Superintendent of Police (SP),” informed the Govardhan Math spokesman Manoj Rath, who led the delegation that met the DGP.
Rath said even as the Puri JMFC had issued the NBW against the fake sanyasi Adhokshjanand Devtirth way back in May 2015 and had asked the Puri police to produce the imposter in the Court, the police have not executed the warrant yet.
It may be recalled here that the UP-based Devtirth created a ruckus in Odisha, particularly, in the Holy city of Puri in the year 2000 claiming to be the real Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth. He was however, immediately arrested by the local police.
The people of Odisha as well as the State government rejected the claim of the Devtirth and subsequently he approached the Orissa High Court challenging his arrest. The HC too had turned down his plea asking him not to enter within the radius of 1000 meters from the Govardhan Peeth.
Devtirth was also debarred to hold any public meeting or take out any procession during his stay in Puri and shall not claim any right of privilege as Shankaracharya of Puri so long as his claim has not been recognised or established.
The High Court had also asked Devtirth not to issue any statement containing disparaging remarks or casting reflections on the present recognised Shankaracharya of Puri.