Ananda Margis meet Governor over Acharya's murder

Ananda Margis meet Governor over Acharya's murder
SANTANU BANERJEE

KOLKATA, MARCH 13: Ananda Margis have decided to go on a state-wide agitation over the ``murder'' of an Ananda Margi acharya in Purulia's Anandanagar Ashram. The body of Acharya Bhudevananda Avadut, reportedly riddled with multiple injuries, was discovered early in the morning today.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Deputy Inspector General (HQ) West Bengal Police, N.C. Ghosh said the district police have asked for sniffer dogs for carrying out further investigation. But Ghosh did not give out any more details.

Claiming that the murder is part of a series of `murders of the Ananda Margi sanyasis in Purulia,' Additional Public Relation Officer Acharya Mantreshvarananda Avadut said: ``Over 15 sanyasis have been killed by the CPI(M) goons since 1967, in a pre-planned manner.'' Acharya Avadut also claimed that the police ``did not accept the FIR till the district superintendent of police intervened.''

The Margis have submitted a memorandum to state Governor Viren J. Shah and have demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. They have also threatened to launch a state-wide agitation over the killing.

The memorandum said: ``52-year-old Acharya Bhudevananda Avaduta...was found lying dead inside PSD Compound in Anandanagar.... There were deep wounds'' inflicted by ``sharp weapons on his head, abdomen, throat and other parts of the body.''

It added: ``CPM miscreants, in connivance with the local CPM leaders, have murdered our sanyasis since 1997.'' Elaborating ``on past records,'' it said ``in 1967, the CPM had murdered five monks in broad daylight.''

Besides arrests of culprits, the memorandum demanded a high-level judicial inquiry and safety and security of the lives and property of Anandanagar ashramites in Purulia district.