JAIPUR: A series of killings and suspicious deaths of sadhus, mahants and saints in Rajasthan has triggered outrage and political friction, raising safety concerns. Investigations point to motives, including disputes over temple property, theft of offerings and personal rivalries.
Recent incidents in Churu and Sirohi have followed the deaths of Surajdas Maharaj at Lohargal in Jhunjhunu in September and Mahant Devanand Maharaj in Kota in June. Saints and opposition figures have accused authorities of failing to protect religious custodians and demanded investigations and arrests.
Temple land, donations and assets have figured in some cases. Saints often manage properties without owning them, leaving control and succession subject to competing claims. However, investigations do not point to one common motive.
In Churu, Saint Bannanath’s body was exhumed after his family alleged murder. He died following an altercation in Sangasar village in Ratangarh tehsil in October. His family said he was assaulted and placed in a samadhi without informing them. Authorities exhumed the body about 50 hours later for a medical-board postmortem. This led to protests and a Salasar road blockade. Four accused were arrested.
In Sirohi, police arrested fellow saint Tulsi Giri and Shravan Gameti over the alleged murder of Trivenigiri Maharaj in the Shivganj area in October. Investigators linked the killing to a poster-placement dispute.
In Jhunjhunu, Surajdas Maharaj disappeared before his body was found in a ravine near Barkhandi Dham in Lohargal in September. Police arrested Suresh Kumar, 44, alleging that he killed the saint after being confronted while trying to steal temple offerings. Kumar allegedly later joined protesters.
In Kota, Mahant Devanand Maharaj of the 1,100-year-old Chandresal Math was attacked with knives on June 5 and
died in hospital. Police linked the killing to a conspiracy over control of the monastery, which reportedly held about 750 bighas of land and crores in assets.
The cases expose threats to religious establishments and conflicts involving insiders. Rajasthan Police have formed Special Investigation Teams to speed investigations, with arrests in the Churu and Sirohi cases. Demands for greater protection for isolated temples and a CBI inquiry remain points of political debate in Rajasthan.