Culprits will not be spared: Yogi
PRAYAGRAJ : Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath paid his last respects to Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) president Mahant Narendra Giri at his Baghambari Math ashram in Prayagraj on Tuesday.
“All aspects related to Mahant Giri’s death are being probed and the culprits will not be spared,” said the chief minister.
Giri’s body was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room in the ashram on Monday evening. A purported suicide note was recovered, in which the names of his disciples, Anand Giri and two others were mentioned, following which an FIR was registered against Anand Giri under Section 306 of the IPC (abetment of suicide) on the basis of a complaint filed by another disciple Amar Giri Pawan Maharaj.
“I would request all to refrain from unnecessary statements in this sensitive case and allow investigation agencies to proceed with their investigation in a responsible manner. A fivemember team (of doctors) would carry out a post-mortem examination of the body on Wednesday, which will be followed by Samadhi as per religious rituals,” said the CM.
He said the police had collected lot of evidence regarding the incident. “A team of senior police officials, including ADG Prayagraj Zone, IG Range, DIG, Prayagraj along with divisional commissioner, will together oversee the investigation,” added Yogi Adityanath.
The CM said Mahant Narendra Giri always tried to make every religious event a mega success in Prayagraj in accordance with the city’s importance.
“He always strived for good coordination between all the 13 akhadas (monastic orders) and seers of different orders and sects. His efforts helped in organising Kumbh-2019 that is known for its grand scale, good arrangements and hygiene across the world. Narendra Giri was the first to request the PM to come to Kumbh-2019 and perform the Sangam and Ganga Pujan. I have seen how Narendra Giri was always ready to extend his support to any major issue concerning the country, the seers and the monastic orders. His passing away is a huge loss for the religious and the spiritual world,” he said.
Among the dignitaries who paid their last respects to Giri were deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, state law minister Brajesh Pathak, UP civil aviation minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’, minister for MSME and export promotion Sidharth Nath Singh, MPs Rita Joshi and Keshari Devi Patel besides MLAs Neelam Karwariya, Harshvardhan Bajpai and former zila panchayat chief Rekha Singh among others.
A number of senior seers including former president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) Dharam Das, Acharya Maha Mandaleshwar of Niranjani Akhara Kailashanand Giri, chief patron of Juna Akhara and general secretary of ABAP Mahant Hari Giri and Maha Mandaleshwar Santosh Das ‘Satua Baba’ also paid their tributes to the departed soul.