Investigations into the ‘mysterious’ death of Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Narendra Giri are slowly opening up a can of worms that also reveal the ugly underbelly of the religious destinations.
 
In a ‘suicide’ note, parts of which are almost illegible, the Mahant had stated that he was being blackmailed by Anand Giri who had morphed his photograph with a girl.
 
The seer said that he had received information that Anand Giri had morphed the photograph on his computer and preparing to release it in the public domain soon.
 
“Anand even asked me that once these allegations spread, how many people will you prove your innocence to?
 
I have lived a life of dignity and I cannot live with the humiliation that I will be subjected to” Narendra Giri had said in the suicide note, which was found in Bhagambari Mutt.
 
Top police officials, however, are denying this angle that could have led to the mysterious death of the seer.
 
Anand Giri has now been arrested for abetment of suicide and is being interrogated.
 
Arrested in connection with the death of Mahant Narendra Giri, his disciple Anand Giri has alleged that the seer was being pressurised over land deals involving the Akhara.
 
The Baghambari Math has land holdings spread across 5-6 bigha between Prayagraj and Allahpur in Uttar Pradesh. A single bigha varies from a third of an acre to an acre.
 
This Niranjani Akhara also owns and operates a school and cowshed in the area. There is also land in Prayagraj’s Daraganj in Niranjani Akhara’s name.
 
Located on the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, the Bade Hanuman temple (mandir) is also owned by Baghambari Math. This temple attracts thousands of devotees from across the country each year.
 
The Niranjani Akhara owns 100 bigha of land near Manda in Prayagraj and another 400 bighas of land in Mirzapur’s Mahuari. This includes 70 bighas of land in Mirzapur’s Naidi and another 70 bighas in Sigda.
 
According to one estimate, the value of land and other assets owned by the Niranjani Akhara is over Rs 300 crore.
 
The Akhara also owns properties in Haridwar and other parts of the country.
There are nearly a dozen temples and ashrams on land owned by the Niranjani Akhara in Haridwar alone.
 
Similarly, there are a number of ashrams on 100 bighas of land owned by the Niranjani Akhara in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain.
 
The Akhara also owns over 100 bighas of land in Maharashtra’s Nashik, in addition to another 125 bighas of land in Vadodara (Gujarat), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Mount Abu (Rajasthan).
 
The Niranjani Akhara also has a temple and 50 bighas of land in UP’s Noida, along with land holdings in Varanasi.
 
A functionary of the Niranjani Akhara said measures are being taken to ensure that none of these assets is sold following the death of Mahant Narendra Giri.