Property dealer found dead at ashram in UP's Kanpur

A 55-year-old property dealer was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his room at Karauli Ashram in Bidhnoo here, police said on Wednesday.The deceased, identified as Devendra Singh Bhati, was found dead on Sunday, the police said, adding that nothing unnatural was found by the forensic experts who examined the body and the crime scene.The Karauli Ashram is led by self-styled godman Santosh Singh Bhadauria alias Karauli Baba, who claims to cure major diseases through spiritual healing.

A 55-year-old property dealer was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his room at Karauli Ashram in Bidhnoo here, police said on Wednesday.

The deceased, identified as Devendra Singh Bhati, was found dead on Sunday, the police said, adding that nothing unnatural was found by the forensic experts who examined the body and the crime scene.

The Karauli Ashram is led by self-styled godman Santosh Singh Bhadauria alias Karauli Baba, who claims to cure major diseases through spiritual healing. He had recently hogged the headlines after a doctor from the Noida district was allegedly beaten up by his staff on February 22.

Bidhnoo Station House Officer Satish Rathore said Bhati, a resident of Noida, had arrived at the ashram around five days ago for yoga and detox sessions.

Bhati was last seen on Sunday morning entering his room which he later locked from inside. Ashram's staff knocked on his door repeatedly but failed to get any response from inside, following which they broke it open and found Bhati lying dead, Rathore said.

''We called the forensic experts who found nothing suspicious,'' the SHO added.

Additional DCP (South) Ankita Sharma said the cause of Bhati's death could not be ascertained and the viscera was preserved during the post mortem.

A police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said some sevadars (ashram servants) had found traces of blood on Bhati's body and he was bleeding from nose when his body was being taken for the post mortem.

According to the sevadars, there was a scratch on Bhati's toe, which suggested a foul play behind his death, the officer added.