PRAYAGRAJ/HARIDWAR: Mahant Narendra Giri, the leader of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), was discovered dead at Shri Math Baghambari Gaddi in Prayagraj on Monday evening. He was 62. His body was discovered hanging from the roof inside a room.

Police claimed to have recovered a suicide note from his room. They also claimed that mahant Giri has blamed one for his disciples Anand Giri of ‘mental torture’ which forced him to take the extreme step. Giri was the head of ABAP which is the apex decision-making body of the 13 recognised Hindu monastic orders of the country.

Reports said some of Giri’s disciples alerted police about the incident around 5 pm on Monday. Senior police officials rushed to the spot from there on. Taking a serious note of the incident, chief minister Yogi Aditynanath has sought a detailed report of the incident from the state home and police VIP.

Talking to TOI in Lucknow, ADG (law and order) Prashant Kumar said, followers of Mahant Narendra Giri had brought his body down from the noose after breaking the doors before the police arrived at the site.

Confirming that a handwritten suicide note has been recovered from the scene, the ADG said, “He has blamed one for his followers, Anand Giri of mental harassment. We have followed Anand Giri to Hardiwar and a police group has been dispatched to capture him.” He said the scene of the incident and the suicide were being forensically examined.