Six days after the murder of a mahant inside Kota's Chandresal Math, police on Thursday claimed to have cracked the case, arresting two persons and alleging that the killing was triggered by a dispute over control of the centuries-old religious institution and its assets.
Arrests and Detentions
The arrested accused were identified as Santosh Kumar Rai (52), an advocate residing in Kota, and Pushpendra Singh alias Prince (20), a resident of Kota city. Two other suspects, Aditya Verma and Ankit Bairwa, were detained.
Police Investigation
Kota City SP Tejaswini Gautam said the murder was allegedly linked to a dispute over the management of Chandresal Math and efforts to gain control of the temple's trust and its assets. "There was no CCTV coverage within a 5-km radius of the crime scene. Two constables, Laxman and Sunil, gathered information about some suspicious youths who were seen in an inebriated condition heading towards the religious site around the time of the murder. That information helped us crack the case," Gautam said.
The Murder
The victim, mahant Devanand Maharaj, was attacked with sharp-edged weapons inside the Math in the Borkheda police station area on the night of June 5. He retired for the night after dinner when unidentified assailants entered the premises. He was later found critically injured outside his room and was declared dead at a hospital.
Background of the Dispute
According to Gautam, Chandresal Math is a nearly 1,100-year-old religious institution with around 750 bighas of land and bank deposits of nearly Rs 4.33 crore. Investigators said Devanand Maharaj was attempting to constitute a new governing committee and secure legal recognition for it, a move that allegedly intensified tensions with members of an existing faction.
Police allege that Rai, who projected himself as president of a rival group, conspired to eliminate the mahant and hired Verma for Rs 1 lakh to execute the plan. Verma subsequently recruited Singh and Bairwa for the attack.
Conspiracy Details
According to the investigation, Rai allegedly took Verma to the Math days before the murder and familiarised him with the premises and the mahant's routine. Police claimed Rai admitted himself to a hospital in Jaipur on June 2 under the pretext of undergoing leg surgery to create an alibi.
Investigators alleged that on the night of June 5, the assailants arrived at the Math on motorcycles carrying knives, locked another resident priest inside his room from the outside and entered Devanand's room while he was asleep. When the mahant attempted to escape, the attackers allegedly chased him outside and repeatedly stabbed him before fleeing.
Police said forensic evidence, mobile phone records, intelligence inputs and statements from temple functionaries, saints, residents and known criminals helped establish the alleged conspiracy.
