The CBI has taken over the probe into the death of Mahant Narendra Giri, president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, following a notification from the Centre. A CBI team on Friday reached Prayagraj to interact with the Uttar Pradesh Police officials who investigated the case.
The move comes after the Department of Personnel and Training gave its approval for a CBI probe into the death of the seer who headed the largest organisation of sadhus in India. The mahant was found hanging at Baghambari Mutt in Prayagraj on Monday.
The UP Police had registered a case under IPC sections relating to abetment to suicide against one of his disciples Anand Giri, who was nabbed from Haridwar and brought to Prayagraj for questioning.
Anand Giri was expelled from the Math earlier this year on charges of indiscipline. But he later apologised to the Mahant who took him back into the Math.
Anand Giri has claimed that he was framed in the case and alleged that the mahant was murdered by those who stole money from the Math.
“On the instructions of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a probe by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has been recommended in the incident pertaining to the sad death of the chairman of Akhara Parishad Mahant Narendra Giri,” the Uttar Pradesh’s Home Department had said on Wednesday.
The Uttar Pradesh Police had on Tuesday constituted an 18-member SIT to probe the death of the seer and detained one of his disciples in Haridwar. The police have arrested three accused in the case so far who will be questioned by the CBI now.
A purported suicide note was also found, in which the seer had written that he was mentally disturbed and upset with one of his disciples, the police had said.
