Jaipur, Oct 9 (IANS) : The body of a saint, Bannanath, was exhumed from his samadhi (burial site) in Sangasar village of Ratangarh tehsil in Rajasthan’s Churu district, nearly 50 hours after his burial.
The body was shifted to the district hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination following allegations that he had been murdered. Police have registered a murder case against seven people and launched an investigation.
The exhumation was carried out on the orders of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate under the supervision of Tehsildar Ankit Mimani, in the presence of medical and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams on Thursday. The post-mortem examination is expected to help establish the cause of death.
According to the police complaint filed by Hansraj, son of Mohanlal and a resident of Dhaulpalia village in Haryana’s Sirsa district, his younger brother Bannanath had renounced worldly life and become a sadhu in 2004. He had reportedly been living at Balaknath’s ashram in Rawatsar for the past two years. Bannanath arrived in Sangasar village on September 30.
According to the complaint, Balaknath called Hansraj on October 2 and asked him to attend a satsang (spiritual gathering), following which Hansraj travelled to Rawatsar on October 3. A day later, on October 4, Hansraj learned that Balaknath had left Bannanath with Bajrangnath in Sangasar village, reportedly saying he would return to take him back within a week. The complaint states that contact with Bannanath was subsequently lost.
Hansraj alleged that his brother had a dispute with Balaknath and was beaten to death. He further alleged that the accused buried Bannanath in a samadhi without informing anyone, in an attempt to conceal the crime. These allegations are yet to be established through the investigation.
Police have registered a murder case against Balaknath, Bajrangnath, Mukeshnath, Loonnath, Lakshminarayan and two other individuals, and initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bannanath’s death.
A police team led by Circle Inspector Sandeep Kumar was deployed at the site during the exhumation. A large number of villagers gathered at the spot as officials carried out the procedure.
The incident triggered protests in the area, with villagers blocking the Salasar road and demanding action.
Police personnel reached the spot and persuaded the protesters to clear the blockade. Traffic was restored after approximately an hour. The cause and circumstances of Bannanath’s death will become clearer after the post-mortem examination and further police investigation.
