A Hindu saint named Mahant Rambhaj Das was murdered on Wednesday night in Haryana. He was Mahant of Shringi Rish Ashram and vice-president of Shaddarshan Sadhu Samaj. Shringi Rishi Ashram is located in the Sanghan village of Kaithal. According to reports, someone took him from the ashram on the pretext of giving him juice. A few people later attacked him and threw him into the fields. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital Kaithal in serious condition from where he was referred to PGI Chandigarh. He succumbed to the injuries on Thursday during the treatment.
Kalayat police station managed to record Mahant’s statement before he died. He told the police that Kuldeep and Nehra from Belarkhan village took him and a person named Chabidas attacked him. The police initiated the investigation based on his statement. Village Sarpanch Sardar Surjit Singh said that Mahant was attacked as a part of a conspiracy. He alleged that at around eight o’clock on Wednesday night, a man came to the Ashram from Belarkhan village and took him on the pretext of giving him juice. Later at night, the villagers informed the Sarpanch about the attack.
According to a statement given by villager Amandeep, one Kulbeer from Belrakha village had visited the ashram, and the Mahanat had gone in with him in his car to have fruit juice in Kaithal. Later in the night he came to know that the saint has been attacked. By then the Mahant was already admitted at the district hospital. As he was injured in the head, he was referred to a better facility, after which he was admitted at a private hospital in Kaithal. There, the Mahant regained consciousness, and he said that he was attacked by Kulbeer, Chabidas and Mehra. He also informed that they snatched cash from him. From the private hospital, he was shifted to PGI Chandigarh, but he could not be saved.
On the basis of this statement, police have registered a case against the three persons.
Mahant Rambhaj Das was only 26-years-old. He had studied till MA. Around four years ago, he came to Shringi Rishi Ashram from dera in Kakaut village. After he started living in the Ashram, he initiated several projects for the benefit of the villagers. The Sarpanch informed that postmortem had been completed and the last rites will be performed in the village.
Attacks on Hindu saints have become standard across the country. In April, two sadhus were lynched in Palghar, Maharashtra. In April, a mod attacked Mahant of Muktidham Ashram in Haryana. In the last week of May, two Sadhus were killed inside an ashram in Nanded.
