CBI probe continues, team records statements

PRAYAGRAJ : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team continued with its probe into the death of ABAP chief Mahant Narendra Giri at Baghambari Gaddi Math for the third consecutive day on Sunday.

Accompanied by Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) members, the CBI team reached the Math in the morning and yet again recreated the circumstances under which Mahant’s body was found hanging from the ceiling fan hook on September 20.

The team later hanged 85 kilogram of weight with a nylon rope from the ceiling fan and asked the disciples to push open the door of the room where Mahant Narendra Giri’s body was found hanging. Another team of CBI officials recorded statements of disciples, sewadaars (servitors) and others who were at the math at the time of the incident.

The CBI officials are also matching the handwriting of Mahant Narendra Giri in the suicide note with his signature available in other documents to establish the authenticity of the purported suicide note.

Meanwhile, it has come to fore that all 16 CCTV cameras installed at Baghambari Gaddi Math were not functioning on September 20 evening for around 45 minutes during which the incident occurred. The Math authorities claimed that the CCTV cameras got defunct during that period of time due to power disruption in the area. A twitter account being run in Mahant Narendra Giri’s name is also under scanner. Giri had lodged an FIR with Daraganj police station a week before his death in which he had alleged that some unidentified people had created a fake twitter account in his name. He had informed police that he did not have any account on social media platforms.

Moreover, Niranjani Akhada general secretary Ravindra Puri claimed that Mahant’s religious band and chain were not found on his body and were found later in his room. “Anant (religious band) is worn by seers and is taken out only on special occasions. I have seen some parts of the video which Mahant had shot from his mobile before his death,” Puri claimed.