The central committee of the banned Communist Party of India - Maoist had decided to eliminate Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Laxmananda Saraswati as he was opposing them in Kandhamal, according to the confessions of an arrested Maoist commander, who was allegedly involved in the killing in August last year.P Rama Rao alias Uday, arrested on April 20 from Raygada district, told interrogators that he was part of the 16-member Maoist team that gunned down Saraswati.
"Maoists were given money to train certain youth of a particular community to eliminate Saraswati," inspector general of police, crime branch, Arun Ray told PTI asserting the mastermind of the killings had been identified.
'No other country other than India can do it on this scale.'
Schools across Maharashtra resumed physical sessions for classes 5 to 12 on Monday after being shut for over a year-and-a-half in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with students being welcomed back on campuses with flowers, balloons, sanitisers and social distancing protocols.
Top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda has claimed responsibility for the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and four others, which lead to large scale flare-up in Orissa's Kandhamal district, according to two local television channels.
'The source of our music, the very notes of music itself have fallen silent.'
Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi and eight others were on Friday acquitted of all charges, including attempt to murder, in the 2002 the auditor Radhakrishnan assault case.
Four leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were killed in a Naxal attack at Tumribandha in Kandhamal district of Orissa on Saturday night.
A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said that the state of Puducherry, where the trial was shifted from Tamil Nadu, can appoint the public prosecutor and the case will continue there. Jayendra Saraswati had challenged the appointment of a public prosecutor from Tamil Nadu for holding trial in the case, which was shifted to Puducherry on the direction of the apex court.
'He will always live in the hearts of the millions of children who have studied in schools and colleges established by him and the faithful Hindus to whom he was a symbol of the invincible spirit of glorious Hindu Dharma,' says Tarun Vijay.
Eight persons, including a Maoist leader, were sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment on Thursday by a court in Kandhamal district for the murder of senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others in 2008 that triggered communal violence leaving 37 dead.
The members include senior lawyer K Parasaran, Jagatguru Shankracharya, Jyothishpeethadheeshwar Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj from Allahabad, Jagatguru Madhavacharya Swami Vishwa Prasannatheerth Ji Maharaj, Pejawar Math in Udupi, Yugpurush Paramanand Ji Maharaj from Haridwar, Swami Govinddev Giri Ji Maharaj from Pune and Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra from Ayodhya.
An agriculturist and social worker, the low-profile leader has been active in politics from his student days and served as state unit president of the Bhartiya Yuva Morcha in 1991 and as vice-president at the national level.
Prakashanand Saraswati, 79, founder of the Barsana Dham Centre in north Hays County in Texas-- one of the biggest Hindu temples in the US -- was released on a US$ one million bail by District Judge Bill Henry in April.Saraswati was indicted on 20 counts of indecency between 1993 and 1996. He was arrested on April 24 at the Washington Dulles International Airport, after he arrived on a flight from Europe, where he had been receiving treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's spiritual guru Swami Dayanand Giri passed away late Wednesday night at his ashram in Sheeshamjhadi area of Rishikesh after a prolonged illness. He was 87.
Dutee told reporters, alleging that some media organisations were on 'overdrive' to harm her by intruding into her private life.
'The present government swears by Hinduism. But we lost three of our sants during earlier BJP regimes.'
"After baby Saraswati @ Sherin Mathews' case, have requested minister for women and child development for a thorough investigation into the adoption process," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Friday.
The music director invited his filmi friends as his family performed the pooja at his residence.
The Shankaracharya of the Jyotirmath Peeth in Badrinath alleged that the devotees of the Shankaracharya of Dwaraka stole ornaments of Goddess Purnagiri.
The last time the Bachchans visited the city was a decade ago.
Dwarka Shradha Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati has been caught in a controversy after he slapped a television journalist.
Key accused Appu alias Krishnasamy and Kathiravan were brought from Cuddalore and Tiruchirapalli prisons respectively and produced before the court.
'People beat their chests when the Babri Masjid was brought down, not realising that it was just one event in a chain going back centuries; to look at the last link or two in isolation is absurd.'
The NHRC noted that media reports had pointed that Vijayendra Saraswati was arrested within hours of the Supreme Court directing the release of the senior Shankaracharya on bail.
Three special teams are on the lookout for the two prime accused, Appu and Ravi Subramaniam.
After completing the pre-charge formalities, Judicial First Class Magistrate G Uthamraj sent the case file to principal district judge, Chengalpattu, who will assign the case to a sessions judge.
The Shankaracharya of Dwaraka-Sharda Peeth Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati said that women's entry in temples would result in increase of rape incidents.
The detention comes a day after the charge sheet was filed against Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati and the junior seer in the case.
Raghu has been charged with murder and conspiracy.
The junior seer has now be questioned twice in three days.
After spending 40 years in the Indian Army, Lieutenant General Subrata Saha marches into the electoral battlefield as the BJP candidate from Rashbehari.
Parle Products Pvt Ltd announced the fourth year of 'Parle Saraswati Vandana - 2005', an initiative to help children showcase talent during 'Saraswati puja'.
The police on Friday filed a charge sheet in the sensational murder case that led to the arrest of both the pontiff and his deputy.
Meanwhile, the Chengalpattu sessions court adjourned the hearing on Vijayendra's bail plea to January 25 following a request from the prosecution.
The arrest was made at the Kanchi mutt at around 1800 IST.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances