Late RSS worker behind attack against Sandeepananda Giri's ashram: Man reveals

Four years after the ashram of spiritual leader Swami Sandeepananda Giri here was attacked by unidentified persons, a man has now come up with a revelation that a late RSS worker and some of his friends were responsible for the act.

Prashanth, a native of nearby Kundamankadavu where the Salagramam ashram of Giri is located, gave a statement to the Crime Branch wing of the state police that his late younger brother Prakash was among the attackers.

Prakash had died by suicide on January 3.

Prashanth said his brother was very much worried and tense about the ongoing police investigation in connection with the attack on the ashram.

''His tension increased after a local youth, known to him, was taken into custody by the investigators in connection with the Ashram attack. One night, he came to me and confessed that he and some of his local friends in the area had attacked the Ashram,'' Prashanth told a TV channel.

Asked whether Prakash had any political affiliation, he said his brother was an active worker of the RSS in the area.

His anxiety continued and he ended his life on January 3 this year, the man added.

Prashanth said there was pressure on him from his friends not to reveal anything but he decided to give the statement to police as he found that they all were living happily even after his brother's death.

Prashanth also alleged that his brother was beaten up by friends before he committed suicide.

A police source confirmed that the youth gave such a statement to the investigators last week.

''Prakash's brother gave us such a statement to the Crime Branch. The investigation is going on and we have to collect more scientific evidence before arriving at a conclusion as the incident had happened four years ago. Let's see,'' the source told PTI.

Meanwhile, Sandeepananda Giri expressed happiness over the revelations and said that there might be more persons behind the attack.

The deceased man was a person who had tried to create issues in the Ashram, he said.

His death and the brother's revelation have now brought the truth out, Giri said and charged that it was RSS workers who had beaten him (Prakash) before the death.

The attack had taken place and two cars and a scooter parked in front of the building were burnt in the wee hours of October 27, 2018. The attackers had also left a wreath at the ashram.

The incident triggered a widespread political controversy as it happened days after Giri had hailed the Supreme Court verdict on entry of women of all ages into the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was among those who condemned the attack against the ashram four years ago.