Trustees colluded to kill Jain muni

AURANGABAD, July 29: The arrest of two trustees of the Guruganesh Sthanak Wasi Trust among nine people apprehended for the Jain muni's mu...

AURANGABAD, July 29: The arrest of two trustees of the Guruganesh Sthanak Wasi Trust among nine people apprehended for the Jain muni‘s murder has bared the conspiracy behind the incident which jolted the State and Jain community alike.

Cracking the case and nabbing the assailants in one swoop, the police reveal that the conspiracy to slay the 65-year-old priest Sampat Maharaj was hatched by the Guruganesh Nagar ashram’s trustees and office-bearers following serious differences over the sharing of crores of rupees which pour into the ashram from devotees all over the country.

Among the 11 accused arrested so far, police say five of them were hired by the trustees to execute the murder led by a history-sheeter, Sanjay Bhadwe. Addressing a press conference here today, Commissioner of Police S B Kulkarni broke his silence on the case, while announcing the arrest of the trust’s secretary Suwalal Chalani, its working President, Champalal Desarda, Chalani’s son, Sandeep, his friend, Balu Surana and theprincipal of the DMK Homoeopathic College, Dr Shantilal Desarda. They have all been charged under Section 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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Police had earlier arrested Bhadwe and Bhikachand Pipada, a supervisor at the ashram, and also charged them under Section 102 of the IPC.

Kulkarni said Chalani and Desarda often clashed with the muni as it was the latter who had the final say in the trust’s financial matters. Arguments were frequent and at times, Chalani’s son Sandeep and his friend Balu would come to the ashram and threaten the muni if he failed to "mend his ways", the commissioner said.

The trustees are suspected to have spirited away money from the ashram, promising to return it to the muni. Interrogations revealed the priest was insistent that the trustees return the money but to no avail. The muni, therefore, stepped up pressure and even discussed the matter with members of the Jain community, sources told The Indian Express.

Bhikachand Pipada, a supervisorat the Guruganesh Nagar Ashram, who was provided the job by Dr Shantilal Desarda, has confirmed that tension was brewing between the trustees and the muni for a few days before the priest was killed, police said. Pipada had had an altercation with the muni and got an inkling that he may lose his job. In fact, a meeting to discuss his ouster was to be held the day the muni was murdered. Though Pipada himself was not present in Aurangabad when the priest was slain, he may have played a role in the conspiracy, police say. Police have ruled out the "sex angle" to the case, as implied by a section of the press.

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