Kota priest stabbed to death; religious leaders demand action
A 35-year-old Mahant (chief priest) of the historic Chandresal Math in Rajasthanâs Kota was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants late on Friday night, in
A 35-year-old Mahant (chief priest) of the historic Chandresal Math in Rajasthanâs Kota was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants late on Friday night, in what the police suspect may be linked to an ongoing dispute over the monasteryâs trust and succession. The police said the deceased, Devanand Maharaj, was allegedly stabbed 26 times with sharp weapons after assailants barged into the Math under the Borkheda police station area around midnight. The attackers first locked another Mahant in a room before launching the assault on Mr. Devanand.
He was rushed to Maharao Bhim Singh Government Hospital in the city, where he succumbed to injuries. Devanand, originally from Sawai Madhopurâs Rajwana village, had been residing at the monastery for the past four years. Police suspect the murder could be linked to an ongoing dispute over the ownership of the trust which manages the Math as well as the position of Mahant. The body was kept at the mortuary of MBS Hospital after the postmortem.
Religious leaders and members of Hindu social organisations, accompanied by Mr. Devanandâs family members, arrived at the hospital in large numbers and refused to take the body for cremation until the culprits were arrested. The police said investigations were underway from various angles, including personal enmity, property disputes and robbery. According to sources, some individuals were being questioned after the examination of footage from the nearby CCTV cameras and the collection of forensic evidence from the crime scene.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress also raised the issue of criminals targeting religious leaders and paid tributes to the departed Mahant. While Kota district Congress president Rakhi Gautam and senior Congress leader Prahlad Gunjal met the protesters outside the mortuary, Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully condemned the murder and accused the State government of remaining a âmute spectatorâ.
The BriefWire