The president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, Mahant Narendra Giri, who was a frontline warrior for the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, was found dead in Baghambari Math, Prayagraj in mysterious circumstances on Monday evening. Giri was also Mahant of the Bade Hanuman Mandir and was associated with the Niranjani Akhada.
As the body of the Mahant was found hanging from the ceiling, the inmates of the Baghambari Gaddi are suspecting murder, especially in light of his recent rift with the Deputy Mahant of the Hanuman Mandir Anand Giri, who had been ousted from the
Akhara and also from the Hanuman Mandir, but later was pardoned by the Mahant.
Anand Giri, however, said that a conspiracy was being hatched by the land mafia who first tried to separate him from his Guru Mahant Narendra Giri, and when that failed and the two patched-up they killed the Mahant.
Police officials are tight-lipped over the incident and a source said that the truth will come to the fore after the autopsy. It is also learnt that a suicide note was found in which he had made mention of mental tension.
Sants, including Ram Vilas Vedanti said that he was quite healthy and strong and had never complained of any cardiac problem, so the possibility of a heart attack and even of suicide can be ruled out.
The sants have demanded a high-level enquiry, probably by the CBI and thousands of devotees thronged the Baghambari Math immediately after coming to know about the demise of the Mahant.
During their Prayagraj visits the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Ministers and other Ministers used to visit the Mahant who had been the frontline warrior for the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.