Hardoi mahant’s body found in 3 pieces in Sitapur
Mishrikh circle officer (CO), Rajesh Kumar said preliminary examination of the body suggested that the assailants hacked the mahant to death with a sharp-edged weapon and thereafter cut the body using some other weapon and disposed it of after stuffing it into a jute bag.
LUCKNOW The body of a 65-year-old mahant of an ashram in Hardoi district was found in three pieces in bushes on Siddhauli road in Sitapur district on Friday night, said senior police officials on Saturday. The mahant had disappeared under mysterious circumstances around four days ago while completing his annual pilgrimage in Sitapur’s Mishrikh.
Police said the deceased’s nephew had lodged a missing report with Mishrikh police station after finding his mobile phone unreachable.
Mishrikh circle officer (CO), Rajesh Kumar said preliminary examination of the body suggested that the assailants hacked the mahant to death with a sharp-edged weapon and thereafter cut the body using some other weapon and disposed it of after stuffing it into a jute bag. He said the deceased was identified as mahant Mani Ram Das, resident of Brahm Rishi Nimiya Baba Ashram in Girdharpur village of Hardoi. His nephew Tai Ram lodged an FIR regarding his disappearance on March 25 and the police had been searching for him since then.
He said the body was recovered nearly 200 metres inside on Kesaripur Road when some locals spotted the jute bag after a foul smell pervaded the atmosphere . He said spot examination hinted that the Mahant was killed somewhere else and later his body was dumped there to mislead the police. He said the body had been sent for postmortem examination while forensic team collected some samples for further examination.
Another police official said the deceased’s nephew had last talked to the deceased on the morning of March 24. The deceased had informed his nephew that he was on the verge of completing ‘Mishrik Panchkosi Parikrama’ after completing 84 Kosi Parikrama and would return home by the evening but he did not return and his phone was found unreachable when the nephew tried to contact him. He said the primary investigation hinted towards the deceased’s property dispute in Hardoi and further investigation was on to work out the case at the earliest.
