Express News Service
LUCKNOW: As the team of CBI officials reached Prayagraj to take over the probe into the death of Mahant Narendra Giri, president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, in mysterious circumstances, main accused Anand Giri has expressed threat to his life seeking protection.
Anand Giri along with Adya Tiwari, head priest of bade Hanumanji temple in Prayagraj, was sent to 14-day judicial custody at Naini jail of Prayagraj on Wednesday.
Claiming a threat to his life, Anand Giri submitted an application in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate through his lawyer on Thursday claiming a threat to his life seeking adequate security.
Substantiating the threat perception, Anand Giri’s lawyer also claimed in the application that his client was attacked by a few persons on the court premises on Wednesday.
However, acting on Anand Giri’s application, CJM Harendra Kumar issued directives to the Naini Jail superintendent to provide security to Anand Giri as per the jail manual and other laws.
The CJM further said that Anand Giri would be produced at the next hearing through video conferencing.
ALSO READ | Mahant Narendra Giri death case: Akhara politics intensifies as saints’ body rejects suicide theory
The jail authorities had earlier claimed that both Anand Giri and Adya Tiwari were kept under high security in separate barracks away from other inmates. The barracks of both the accused are equipped with CCTV cameras.
Anand Giri is the main accused in the mysterious death case of the Mahant who had mentioned his name along with Adya Tiwari and his son Sandip Tiwari in the alleged suicide note claiming that they had pushed him towards committing suicide.
Adya Tiwari’s son Sandip is also lodged in the same jail in 14-day judicial custody in connection with the case.
Mahant Narendra Giri was found dead in mysterious circumstances when his body was spotted hanging from a ceiling fan and a suicide note was recovered from the spot at his Baghambari Gaddi Muthh on Monday evening. In the note, the late seer had allegedly accused Anand Giri, Adya Tiwari, and Sandip of harassing him mentally and threatening him to malign his image through a morphed photo.
Meanwhile, a video purportedly shot after the death of the Mahant had gone viral on social media on Thursday showing the late seer lying lifeless on the floor of the room where his body was found hanging.
The cops are shown questioning the disciples who took the body down cutting the nylon rope with which the seer had allegedly committed suicide.