The assassin himself was found dead in a pool of blood but it was hard to tell whether he killed himself or was lynched.

After the death of Swami Swarupanandaji, the reins of the ashram was taken over by a sanyasin, Guruma Sangeeta Ray, popularly known as Mamoni.

A kirtan session was in progress this evening, when a devotee, Kalipada Das, walked in.

An ashramite himself, Das used to travel frequently to the other centres of the ashram — in Jammu and Kashmir, Haridwar, Assam, Silchar and Beraras. He had returned from one such trip on Poila Baisakh.

Wrapped in saffron, Das headed straightaway for the Guruma’s chamber on the fourth floor. No one had stopped him.

But entering the Guruma’s room, he pulled out a bhojali from beneath his robes and brought it down on her neck and stomach. As she collapsed, her screams brought others running.

Ananda Kamal Brahmachari, a sanyasi and secretary to Guruma, was the first to reach. Das turned on him, slashing him on the stomach. He fell in a pool of blood.

Duli Dutta was the next one to come. As she collapsed, hit on the stomach and back, Das pounced on her, stabbing her several times.

But other disciples who had reached meanwhile, put up a fight and soon, the body of Das was found lying in a pool of blood. His throat was slit. No one could tell for certain if he killed himself or was lynched.

Ananda Kamal, who was rushed to a private nursing home nearby, told The Indian Express: “I knew Kalipada well. We had censured him a couple of times for his manners. Tonight, I ran to Guruma’s room hearing the shouts, but I was attacked with a bhojali and lost consciousness.”

Asked what could be the motive of Das, he said: “It is difficult to say what was in his mind. But his behaviour did not befit an ashramite. We had asked him to leave the ashram as he used to be abusive at times. But he used to return again.”

Guruma and Duli Dutta were taken to Apollo Gleneagles hospital but both were declared dead on arrival.

The body of Das was lying in the ashram complex till late for the forensic experts to examine.

The Commissioner of Kolkata Police, Gautam Chakravarty, said the incident is still fresh and the police are yet to find a motive for the murders.