Mahant Narendra Giri's death: UP Police makes third arrest
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested a third person in connection with the death of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad President Mahant Narendra Giri, officials said. Inspector Mahesh Singh, in-charge of the George Town Police Station, confirmed the arrest of Sandeep Tiwari, but he declined to comment on the time and place of the arrest.
Mahant's disciples found him hanging on Monday
The seer, who was the President of the largest organization of sadhus in India, was found hanging by his disciples at the Baghambari Mutt in Allahabad on Monday. Earlier on Wednesday, the seer's two disciples, Anand Giri and Aadhya Prasad Tiwari, were produced in a local court, which sent them to a 14-day judicial custody.
Anand was charged with abetting the seer's death by suicide
Anand was charged with abetting the seer's death by suicide. The UP Police had constituted an 18-member SIT to probe Narendra's death. Earlier, a purported suicide note was found, in which the seer wrote that Anand was trying to blackmail him using a morphed picture of a woman. The seer purportedly wrote that he would rather die with dignity than face this false accusation.
It's not Narendra's handwriting in suicide note: Niranjani Akhara seer
Meanwhile, a prominent seer of Niranjani Akhara, Acharya Mahamandleshwar Kailashanand, on Wednesday claimed that the handwriting in the purported suicide note is not the Mahanta's. "I do not consider this suicide note authentic as it does not have Narendra's handwriting. I knew him for the last 20 years. He did not used to write," said Acharya, considered very close to Narendra.
UP CM and PM Modi expressed grief over Narendra's demise
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had expressed grief over Narendra's demise. "The death of Mahant Narendra Giri ji, President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, is an irreparable loss to the spiritual world," he had tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also tweeted his condolences.
Here is PM Modi's tweet
May God grant him place at his feet: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav reacted to Narendra's death saying, "May God grant the virtuous soul a place at His feet and strength to his followers to bear this sorrow." Notably, Narendra had welcomed a recent Allahabad High Court order asking the Centre to make the cow the national animal of India. He had urged the Centre to frame a law regarding the same.
