Mahant Narendra Giri, the head of the largest organisation of sadhus in India, was found dead on Monday at the Baghambari Muth in Uttar Pradesh‘s Prayagraj. Police have detained one of his disciples who was named in a purported suicide note left behind by the top seer. The body of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president was found hanging from the ceiling by his disciples, Inspector General of Police K P Singh said.  Police also recovered an alleged suicide note from the spot in which Mahant Narendra Giri had written that he was ending his life as he was mentally disturbed. The top seer had also delegated various responsibilities to his disciples, the police said.

The IGP said that police had received a call at 5.30 pm from the Muth that Mahant Narendra Giri had hanged himself and prima facie it appeared to be a case of suicide. Post-mortem and forensic tests will help police reach a more conclusive result, the police said.

ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar told news agency ANI that his disciples had broken the door around 3-4 pm after finding it locked from inside. He said Mahant Narendra Giri had named his disciple Anand Giri and two others in the suicide note, following which Anand Giri was detained from Haridwar with the help of Uttarakhand Police.

Mahant Narendra Giri had been hospitalised in April after testing positive for coronavirus.

UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said he had met Mahant Narendra Giri only yesterday to seek his blessings. “He was very happy but today I got to know that he died by suicide which made me sad & shocked,” he told news agency ANI.

The government will take all the necessary steps to find out the exact cause of the death, he added.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed Mahant Narendra Giri’s death as an “irreparable loss to the spiritual world.”

“I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed soul a place at his feet and strength to the bereaved followers to bear this sorrow. Om Shanti,” he tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the demise of Mahant Narendra Giri as “extremely saddening.”

(With inputs from PTI)