CRIME AND BHAKTI IN VRINDAVAN

Mathura

 

Senior Superintendent of Police Manzil Saini has ordered an inquiry and filing of a case against an alleged fake sadhu (ascetic) who, according to the complainant,  had been harassing and making lewd gestures to a foreign devotee of Sri Krishna in Vrindavan. 

 

Manzil Saini told TOI that a woman from Vrindavan had met her to lodge a written complaint against a person living in her neighbourhood, following which the chowki incharge had been asked to act and ensure her safety.

 

In her written complaint BrajBasi Devi Dasi, from Italy, now an Indian citizen, living in Vrindavan for past 40 years, had accused Nitai Das, a sadhu, her neighbour for harassing her and making obscene gestures. On October 15 he tried to pull her sari when she was going to the ISKCON temple with her friend Nikunj Devi Dasi. She complained to the local thana but there was no response. "In fact learning of the complaint at the local thana, the sadhu became more rude and abusive," she said in her complaint.

 

She said the 'sadhu' would often threaten her  and drop the towel to bare himself. He has even threatened acid attack, she has written in her complaint.

 

In recent years, there have been many cases of attacks and harassment of foreign devotees who are members of the ISKCON and have been living in the holy town for a number of years. The foreign Sri Krishna bhakts allege insensitivity and callous indifference of the security personnel. Vrindavan is now an important religious centre drawing Sri Krishna devotees from not only India but also from several countries in Europe and America.

 

A Vrindavan Kotwali police officer, not wanting to be identified said "many of these cases are trumped up by people who do not vacate houses they had rented. When owners ask them to leave, they resort to complaints and threats. House grabbing by unscrupulous occupants has become a routine affair in this holy town."

 

In the past several religious persons have been abducted by criminals to take possession of their ashrams. The real estate prices are soaring high, land is dearer, in fact the rates are higher than in the metros here," says a local businessman Rajendra Goyal.

 

A social activist of Vrindavan Jagan Nath Poddar recalled "not so long ago, a saint  was kidnapped by his driver and his wife with the help of other accomplices. The kidnappers thrashed  and kept him hostage until they had extorted Rupees eight million from him. They also tried to grab his ashram in an unsuccessful bid. An old lady who was the caretaker of  a gaushala was arrested and sent to jail on charges of throwing acid. She got arrested in the fake case, in which she was proved innocent. It seems that the police and land mafias had worked hand in gloves in this case. But through the intervention of some social workers, she was released from prison. In another case, a disciple produced a fake death certificate of his Guru to claim the ashram land."