Probe Sought into Nigamanand’s Death

Family members of Swami Nigmanand, who died at a hospital in Dehradun after fasting for over two months, on Wednesday demanded a thorough probe into the circumstances leading to his death.

Uttarakhand government’s insensitivity can be gauged from the fact that it arranged the best medical facility to Yoga guru Ramdev at the same hospital in Dehradun where Nigmanand died for lack of treatment, Nigmanand’s father Subhash Chandra Jha, grandfather Surya Narayan Jha and grandmother Jaikali Devi said.

The family members spoke to Bihar Director General of Police Neelmani and Home department’s Principal Secretary Amir Subhani, seeking their help for bringing the body to the native village Ladari in Uttrakhand.

Justice should be done and the “Bihar government should also take up the matter with the Uttrakhand government,” they said.

“We want to cremate the body at the village,” they said and added that the role of Shivanand, another Swami of Matra Sadan in Hardwar, should also be probed.

Swami Nigmanand of Matra Sadan passed away at the hospital in Dehradun on June 13. He had been on fast-unto-death since February 19, 2011, for the 68th consecutive day, when he was forcibly hospitalised by the district administration.

Nigmanand, who died at 34, was agitating against illegal quarrying being carried out in the Ganga river-bed with the alleged connivance of officials and quarrying mafia.

Dismissing the CB-CID inquiry into the death of Swami Nigamanand as ordered by the Uttarakhand government, the Congress on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe in the case.

“Ramesh Pokhriyal government is responsible for the death of Swami Nigamanand as it failed not only to check illegal quarrying in the Kumbh area at Haridwar but also failed to provide proper medical care to him,” Uttarakhand PCC president Yashpal Arya said.

The PCC president said the Congress has no faith in the State government and demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI.

He accused the BJP government of making Bollywood actor Hema Malini the brand ambassador of Ganga Cleaning Campaign and said it did not take any action on the demand of a Sadhu, who sacrificed his life after fighting for 114 days for the same cause.

Mr. Arya also accused the State government of patronising quarrying mafia. The government, he said, did not take any action on the demand of Swami, who was asking for immediate stopping of quarrying in Ganga and shifting of Himalaya Stone crusher from Kumbh area.

The Congress is holding dharna and protest demonstrations across the State, Mr. Arya said, adding, he himself would sit on a dharna in Haridwar on Thursday to demand a CBI probe.

Swami Nigamanand, a seer of Matri Sadan ashram in Haridwar, died in the Himalayan hospital near here on June 13 after remaining in coma for 43 days. Nigamanand had begun his fast on February 19.