Disciple named in suicide note, under U’khand cops’ observation

DEHRADUN/HARIDWAR: After Akhada Parishad president Narendra Giri’s death in Prayagraj, the Uttarakhand police put his disciple Anand Giri under “observation” at his Haridwarbased ashram on Monday evening.

The action was taken by the state police after it received a request from the UP police on the same as Anand Giri’s name was mentioned in the purported suicide note found from the room in the ashram in Prayagraj where Mahant Narendra Giri was found hanging.

DGP, Uttarakhand, Ashok Kumar said, “We received a request from the D-G (law and order) of UP Police to put Anand under observation to prevent him from leaving his residence.”

“We deployed police force at his residence in Haridwar based ashram to prevent him from leaving as his name has been mentioned in the suicide note found by UP police. A team of UP police has left for Haridwar from Saharanpur, after which he would be handed over to them,” said Kumar.

Responding to the development, Anand Giri told a private news channel that his guru could not commit suicide. “It is a murder. I know my Guru…he can’t commit suicide. All this is a big conspiracy. There has never been any conflict between the Guru and the disciple. This is a conspiracy to swindle money of the math and the temple by those who didn’t even have the income of ₹2000, and now have houses worth ₹5-10 crore. My name has been involved in this conspiracy,” he said.

On being named in the purported suicide note, Anand Giri said: “I know my Guruji’s handwriting. He has never written a letter in his life. If he has written a letter, it would be investigated first…I have full faith that my Guruji cannot commit suicide…this is a murder.”

He also named a few people, who he alleged were pressurising his Guruji for money. “I want the government to investigate all this,” he said.

Meanwhile, Swami Ramdev expressed disbelief over the death of Akhada Parishad president, terming it as a major loss to Sanatan Dharma and the saints’ community.

Akhada Parishad general secretary Shri Mahant Hari Giri Maharaj demanded a high-level investigation into the death.