After row, ‘businessman’ priest axed by Akhara Parishad

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Akhara Parishad head and chief of the Baghambari Gaddi Math, Mahant Narendra Giri, said: “The Akhara Parishad has decided to expel Sachchidanand Giri from the post and also from the Akhara. The Akhara Parishad has nothing to do with him now.”

Giri added that, while a committee was constituted to look into Dutta’s antecedents, the fact that he returned to his Noida house was reason enough to expel him. “Sanyasis are not supposed to have any home of their own. Once they join the Akharas, they have to stay with them, without any worldly possessions. Once he went back to his house in Noida, there was nothing left to check. The committee has concluded that he didn’t furnish the right information during the induction process,” Giri said.

Asked how Dutta managed to get into the fold in the first place, he said: “Usually, candidates for the posts like that of Mahaman-daleshwar are introduced by the Mahatmas. In this case, he came to us through Kailashanand Brahmchari, who is very well-known and a revered figure. So, we went along. It is possible that he too was kept in the dark.”

Giri, however, added that the Akhara Parishad was not interested in lodging any official complaint against the businessman.