Killed him for social work, says Pratibhanand

GHAZIABAD: Self styled godman Baba Pratibhanand alias Machendranath has shown no remorse over his alleged involvement in the 2013 killing of Bahujan Samaj Party leader Deepak Bhardwaj in Delhi.

Instead, the man has confessed to having played a crucial role in the killing and claimed “it was for a social cause.”

Pratibhanand was arrested by police on Friday night from Ghaziabad junction as he was planning to head towards Haridwar.

“I was promised ₹10 crore, not ₹5 crore, by three people, including the family members of Bhardwaj, for his killing. The ‘supari’ was taken for ‘samaj sewa’ (social work). Initially I got Rs 12.5 lakh of which I gave away Rs 10 lakh for the marriage of two poor girls,” Pratibhanand said.

“He paid Rs 2 lakh to the shooters and asked them to arrange weapons,” said HN Singh, senior superintendent of police, Ghaziabad.

“I am in NCR since childhood. I don’t have anything back home (at Beed in Maharashtra). My followers, even if they are shooters, are needed. I am of revolutionary. I went to Nepal, UP and other places and never changed my outlook ,” he added.

“He told us that a lawyer named Sehrawat wanted to contest elections from Mahipalpur and needed financial help, but Bhardwaj denied him the money. Later, Sehrawat aligned with Bhardwaj’s son and approached him to provide the shooters,” SSP Singh said.