Mahant Narendra Giri's death: UP Police makes third arrest in abetment to suicide case

Prayagraj seer Mahant Narendra Giri’s death case on Wednesday saw several developments. The Uttar Pradesh Police-led special investigation team made a breakthrough and arrested the third disciple named in the alleged suicide note. Inspector Mahesh Singh, in charge of the George Town police station in Prayagraj, confirmed the arrest of Sandeep Tiwari, but he declined to comment on the time and place of the arrest. Meanwhile, the state government requested a Central Bureau of Investigation probe in the matter. After the Union Home Ministry okays the request, the central agency will take over the assignment from the local cops. Former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand and BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya had earlier demanded a CBI inquiry into the death. However, UP opposition leaders Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav had in the past requested for an independent judicial probe in the matter. The seer, who was the president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, the largest organisation of sadhus in India, was found hanging by his disciples at the Baghambari Mutt in Prayagraj on Monday. Earlier on Wednesday, the seer’s two disciples, Anand Giri and Aadhya Prasad Tiwari, were produced in a local court, which sent them to 14-day judicial custody. Anand Giri was charged with abetting the seer’s suicide. 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. Giri had also named Bade Hanuman temple priest Aadya Tiwari and his son Sandeep among others. Anand Giri was detained in Haridwar on Monday night and subsequently arrested by the police. An FIR naming him was registered under section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code at George Town police station in UP’s Prayagraj. Aadya was arrested on Tuesday while Sandeep was taken into custody on Wednesday. A panel of five doctors on Wednesday conducted a post-mortem examination that suggested death by asphyxiation. After the autopsy, the body was taken to the Baghambri Gaddi Mutt. The seer was buried in a bhoo samadhi under a lemon tree around 3 pm. With inputs from PTI Also read: Narendra Giri death: Disciple named in suicide note arrested, SIT formed; guilty will be punished, vows Adityanath   A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers  are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022 2754 6669