Mahant Narendra Giri death case: Akhara politics intensifies as saints’ body rejects suicide theory

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The demise of Mahant Narendra Giri has intensified Akhara politics with Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) and Nirajani Akhara rejecting the suicide theory and the note allegedly written by the late seer.

Suspecting foul play, they demanded a probe by an HC judge.

Notably, Mahant Narendra Giri was the president of ABAP, the apex body of 13 Akharas across the country while originally belonging to Niranjani Akhara. While interacting with the media persons in Prayagraj, the Akhara Parishad said that it had postponed the appointment of Mahant Narendra Giri’s successor at Baghambari Gaddi Muthh in Prayagraj.

However, the late seer had written in his alleged suicide note that Mahant Balbir Giri should be nominated as his successor to head the Muthh after his death. Refusing the appointment of  Balbir Giri as the successor of the late seer, ABAP said that the letter is was fake and the appointment of his successor would be made later by the Parishad.

It claimed that Parishad had launched its own probe into the death of Mahant Narendra Giri and it would come out with its findings only after September 25.

ALSO READ | Mahant Narendra Giri death case: Late seer’s Niranjani Akhara owns assets running into crores

“After September 25, when the 16–day rituals of Mahant Narendra Giriji Maharaj will conclude, the panch parmeshwar (the body making appointments) of Parishad will decide on his successor,” said Mahant Hari Giri, secretary, ABAP.

Rejecting the suicide note, Hari Giri said that when the note was fake, how could Balbir Giri be appointed as Maharaji’s (Mahant Narendra Giri) successor. “We have postponed the meeting of panch parmeshawar,” he said.

Meanwhile, Niranjani Akhara Mahant Ravindra Puri also claimed on Wednesday that the suicide letter was not written by Mahant Narendra Giri who was found hanging at the Baghambari Muthh. The Niranjani Akhara seers said that the Mahant was a person of grit and that he could not commit suicide.

Both Ravindra Puri, secretary of Niranjani Akhara and Mahamandaleshwar Koshalanand, Peethaddheshwar (head) of Nirajani Akhara called for a probe to prove its veracity.

The Niranjani Akhara seers claimed that Mahant Narendra Giri did not know how to write. “He could only sign,” said Koshalanand adding: “It seems that the note was written by a person technically and legally very sound.”

Claiming that the name of successor was not written correctly on the note, Ravindra Puri said that Balbir’s surname was Puri and not Giri. “In the suicide letter, it is written Giri, Narendra Giri cannot make such a mistake,” he added.