Gwalior, June 28 (IANS) A Hindu saint was allegedly thrashed and robbed by a group of unidentified persons at an Ashram in Gwalior district, and the accused persons were still at large till Saturday, the police said.

The incident occurred at Van Kahndeshwari Ashram, located at Shivpuri link road (Agra-Mumbai Highway), where Saint Shivananji Maharaj was attacked by three persons between 9:30 and 10 p.m. on Thursday.

According to Saint Shivananji Maharaj, three persons entered the Ashram, claiming they were in search of their buffalos. They even asked the saint if he had seen his buffalos, and they moved out of the Aashram. A few minutes later, they entered again and asked the same question to the saint if he had seen their buffalo. Their repeated inquiry about buffalo irritated the saint, and he scolded them, as Saint Shivananji Maharaj told police.

“When I asked them to move out of the Ashram, they attacked me. One of them hit me with an iron rod, and another person with a stick. While the third person took away my laptop, a suitcase and drove away his car,” Shivananji Maharaj alleged. He also claimed that Rs 50,000 cash was in his suitcase. Upon receiving information, a police team visited the Ashram, registered a complaint in the matter, and initiated an inquiry into the matter.

According to information, the head priest of Juna Akhara, Hari Giri Maharaj, had spoken to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday and expressed his shock over the alleged attack on Shivananji Maharaj. Circle SP (CSP-Gwalior) Robin Jain, talking to IANS on Saturday, said efforts to nab the accused persons involved in the attack on the saint were still underway. When asked about the cash amount of Rs 50,000 robbed from the Ashram, the police officer said that the victim’s statement has been recorded, and further inquiry was underway.

“In the Gati Gaon area under this police station, a case has come to light involving an assault on Shivananji Maharaj at the Van Kahndeshwari Ashram by some individuals, who also forcefully took away his vehicle. The police immediately shared the information regarding the vehicle and are continuously making efforts through various teams to apprehend the accused involved in the incident,” CSP Robin Jain said.

–IANS

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