BHOPAL: A sadhu identified as Kali ‘Kalinanda Giri’ was arrested by police in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain on Tuesday for allegedly consuming part of a partially cremated human body from a burning pyre on camera and later posting the visuals on social media.
The video was reportedly filmed at Ujjain’s Chakratirth cremation ground and uploaded on the social media account of the sadhu, who identifies as a transgender person and claims to be associated with the Kinnar Akhara. It was subsequently circulated widely.
The video enraged local residents as well as Hindu seers in Ujjain, following which a complaint was reportedly submitted to the Ujjain district police by Kal Bhairav Ghat-based Hindu seer and tantrik Vishnu Nath.
Acting on the complaint, police from the Jiwajiganj police station in Ujjain arrested Kalinanda Giri and lodged a case against the sadhu under Section 301, which deals with trespassing on burial places and offering indignity to human remains.
The 1.27-minute video, shot at Ujjain’s Chakratirth Shamshan Ghat, showed Kalinanda Giri smearing her body with ash from the burning pyres. Subsequently, Kalinanda could be seen in the video announcing, “I’ll now eat human, just watch.”
The sadhu is subsequently seen brandishing a sword near the burning pyre. In the video, Kalinanda Giri can then be seen using the sword to disturb the burning human body and consuming a part taken from the partially burnt body. The sadhu subsequently tells people about eating human flesh, due to which people shouldn’t mess up with her.
After the video enraged Ujjain’s Hindu seer fraternity and local residents, Kalinanda Giri removed it from social media and reportedly posted another video in which she could be seen threatening people with dire consequences for opposing her act.
While confirming that a case had been lodged against the sadhu under Section 301 of the BNS, Ujjain district police superintendent Pradip Sharma told TNIE on Tuesday that the accused had been arrested.
Meanwhile, Hindu seers in Ujjain and local residents reacted angrily to the video, which was filmed at the cremation ground.
After the video went viral, prominent Hindu seer Mahamandaleshwar Shaileshanand Maharaj objected to it. He said that Aghor sect has its own codes of conduct, and it is necessary for them to keep those practices secret; they cannot be made public.
“Whoever makes this public is called a Kalanemi practitioner or a practitioner who has fallen from a spiritual position. Similar incidents have come to light before as well, which were made public through some channel, but after objections from sadhus and saints, they were blurred and kept confidential. Making such videos and circulating them on social media is, in some way, insulting the Hindu Vedic religion. The concerned person in the video, seems to be making such videos to increase his/her commercial and personal reputation,” the Hindu seer said.