Mahant Narendra Giri laid to rest in Allahabad

The last rites of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri were performed here on Wednesday at Baghambari Muth, where the seer was buried in samadhi two days after he was found dead by his disciples.

Earlier in the day, a panel of five doctors conducted an autopsy, after which the body was given a bath at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Sarasvati rivers.

Meanwhile, the seer's two disciples Anand Giri and Aadhya Prasad Tiwari were produced in a local court, which sent them to a 14-day judicial custody.

The seer was given the ''bhoo samadhi'' under a lemon tree in the Muth around 3 pm.

Office-bearers of several ''akhadas'' and the seer’s family members, including his sister, were present on the occasion.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and a large number of people turned up on the occasion.

After the post-mortem, the body was brought to Baghambari Muth where it was kept in a special vehicle prepared with flower garlands.

The post-mortem examination lasted for about two-and-a-half-hours and the report was handed over to senior police officials in a sealed cover.

There was heavy deployment of security personnel at the site where the autopsy was conducted. Anand Giri, who was detained in Haridwar, and Aadhya Prasad Tiwari were sent to a 14-day judicial custody by a court here. District Government Counsel Gulab Chandra Agrahari told PTI that both were produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Harendra Nath. He said Anand Giri's bail application was rejected considering serious nature of the case.

Two mobile phones of the late mahant, a video made by him before his death, a nylon rope, knife and a seven-page suicide note were presented in the court by Investigating Officer Mahesh Singh as evidence. The next hearing in the case will take place on October 5.

Meanwhile in Meerut, UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu demanded a CBI probe into the death under the supervision of the High Court.

Speaking to reporters, he alleged that the state government is misleading followers of the seer and efforts are being made to hide the truth.

How did police reach the conclusion whether it was a suicide or murder without conducting a post-mortem, he said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Tuesday said all aspects related to the death are being investigated and the guilty will not be spared.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had constituted an 18-member SIT to probe the death of the seer.

Earlier, a purported suicide note was found, in which the seer wrote that Anand Giri was trying to blackmail him using a morphed picture of a woman.

The seer purportedly wrote that he would rather die with dignity than face this false accusation. The seer, who was the president of the largest organisation of sadhus in India, was found hanging by his disciples on Monday.