The man who knifed two volunteers before he was overpowered just a few feet away from spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi last evening had a history of mental illness, police sources said today. This morning, Mata Amritanandamayi made a public statement, asking that the man be pardoned and let off. But the police produced him in court which remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days. The math functionaries appeared jolted by the abortive attack. Swami Amritakripanandapuri, the Math trust’s vice-chief, insisted that the incident can’t be robbed of its seriousness merely on the insanity plea. The attacker, 47-year-old Pavithran, a rubber tapper in Idukki, had been under psychiatric medication for years, and had a police record too. He was arrested for stabbing a neighbour in 1985, but was acquitted. Pavithran had been frequenting the Mata’s ashram for many months now and had been turned away last week, math sources said. Amritakripanandapuri, however, maintained that no senior math functionary could recall seeing Pavithran in the premises earlier. The cops don’t want to take chances, but have now run into a deadend. ‘‘We want to work on comprehensive security for her, including metal detectors and frisking of all devotees. But that can be only if the math agrees,’’ a senior officer said. Mata Amritanandamayi, however, openly dismissed suggestions for stepping up security in the ashram. ‘‘There is no need to increase security for me just because of yesterday’s incident. I don’t want that,’’ she said in a televised statement. As things stand, there is hardly any security cover for her, except a few unarmed cops in the premises. Math sources pointed out that the main ashram in Vallikkavu and its many satellite centres elsewhere have thousands of visitors streaming in, and the Mata personally hugs and blesses each one of them, right through the day till late night. ‘‘It is vital that we make sure she is safe. We hope the police would be able to persuade her at a meeting slated for tomorrow,’’ they said.
