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Murder of Lakshmanananda Saraswati

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It has been suggested that Swami Lakshmanananda and Talk:Murder of Swami Lakshmanananda#Swami Lakshmanananda be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since November 2008.

Murder of Swami Lakshmanananda and four others including two women occurred in August 2008 in Indian state of Orissa. Swami Lakshmanananda was a Hindu monk and a social reformer who worked for tribal welfare. He opposed the Christian missionary activities and organised reconversions of the tribals . Swami's claim that he has been attacked 8 times before 2008. was corroborated in January 2008 by a fact finding commission, chaired by Additional Advocate General of Rajasthan G.S.Gill. The first attack on the Swami occurred on December 26, 1970.

He was attacked on 24 December, 2007near Dasingabadi while going to Brahmani gaon. The attackers succeeded in causing major injuries to the driver and personal security guard of Lakshmananda whose car was badly damaged. Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati accused the Congress Member Of Parliament and and the chief of the missionary organisation, World Vision, Mr Radhakant Nayak for the attack on him. He also alleged that there is a nexus between Maoist terrorist and missionaires. .


Murder

He was killed at his kanyashram (Girls school) at Tumudibandh, about 100 km from Phulbani, the district headquarters of Kandhamal district on the sacred day of Janamastmi. Four others including a boy were also killed.

The murder was committed on the Kanya Ashram (a residential school) which housed 130 girls on the day of the Janmashtami festival. A group of 30-40 armed men surrounded the Ashram. Four of the assailants carried AK-47s and many others had locally made revolvers. Two of the four government provided security guards had gone home to eat. The assailants tied and gagged the two remaining guards. . Swami received an anonymous threat only a week before he was killed. The local SP did not even register a case after the Swami lodged a formal complaint..

Many of the girls were eyewitnesses to the killing of the swami, as reported by Indian Express


Investigations

The government announced a special investigative probe into the attack.

However, Hindu groups in the state, including the BJP, blamed Christians for killing Lakshmananand. They cited Lakshmanananda's claims that Christians were trying to eliminate him for his opposition to conversion, and had attacked him eight times before. He was regularly receiving death threats and the last threat letter had been submitted to the Police only the day before the murder.

The Orissa state crime branch police team, has released computerized sketches of two suspects believed to be behind the brutal attack.

On August 28, a letter of denial was received by a some media outlets, the VHP office in the Gajapati District of Orissa and the Bajrang Dal from a Maoist group. While the letter denied that the Central Committee of the Kotagarha branch of the Maoists had approved the attack, it claimed that some Maoists may have been bribed by Christians to launch the attack. Sources within the police force have said that Maoists could have carried out the operation to appease their Christian support base. Soon after the appearance of the aforementioned letter, Azad, a leader of the Maoist People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, claimed responsibility for the murder of Lakshmanananda. Azad was suspected by the police of leading the attack himself. On September 9, 2008 the Maoists, who work underground, made an official press release claiming responsibility for the killing of Lakshmanananda. Many Maoist sympathizers of south Orissa had initially denied the role of CPI-Maoist in the murder of VHP leaders that sparked off communal violence in Kandhamnal district. . Communist Party of India (Maoist) leader Sabyasachi Panda claimed that they killed Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples at his Jalespeta ashram on 23 August .

The police have arrested Pradesh Kumar Das, an employee of the World Vision, a Christian Charity, from Khadagpur while escaping from the district at Buguda. In another drive, two other persons Vikram Digal and William Digal have been arrested from the house of Lal Digal, a local militant Christian, from Nuasahi at Gunjibadi, Nuagaan. They have admitted to having joined a group of 28 other assailants.

On 16th October in an in interview to PTI the IG police Mr Arun Ray told that "Maoists were given money to train certain youth of a particular community to eliminate Saraswati," The plan to eliminate Saraswati was made immediately after the December, 2007 communal violence in Kandhamal, he added. Elaborating the probe by the crime branch, Ray said investigations also showed that a group had collected money from some villages in Kandhamal which was given to the Maoist group to train their youth for the purpose. The police said that they already arrested three persons who belong to the extremist groups and efforts were now on to arrest the other accused.

References

  1. India Today
  2. Anti-reconversion lobby killed Laxmananand: NGO The Pioneer - September 6, 2008
  3. http://www.newstodaynet.com/printer.php?id=3557
  4. http://pd.cpim.org/0113_pd/01132008_saffron.htm
  5. http://www.dailypioneer.com/61677/RSS-wing-blames-Cong-MP-for-triggering-communal-tension-in-Kandhamal.html
  6. Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, four others shot dead The Economic Times - August 24, 2008
  7. http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/aug/28orissa1.htm Who killed Swami Lakshmanananda? Krishnakumar P, August 28, 2008
  8. http://www.indianexpress.com/story/354813.html Trauma in ashram, schoolgirls witnessed Swami’s murder
  9. Orissa announces judicial probe into murder of VHP leaders The Hindu - August 24, 2008
  10. Protests in Orissa over killing of VHP leader NDTV - August 24, 2008
  11. http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/11/stories/2008091152750300.htm Sketches of suspects of Swami Lakshmanananda murder released
  12. Maoists deny role in VHP leader’s murder The Hindu - August 29, 2008]
  13. Kandhmal: Mystery surrounds Swami's death NDTV - September 4, 2008
  14. "Maoists claim they killed 'fascist' VHP leader in Orissa". Times of India. 30 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  15. "CPI Maoists claim VHP leader's killing". NDTV. September 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  16. http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/29/stories/2008082952080300.htm
  17. "Maoists claim responsibility for killing of VHP leader" (Press release). The Hindu. October 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  18. "We killed Swami, Maoists say again" (Press release). The Times of India. October 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  19. 'Majority of Maoist supporters in Orissa are Christians' The Hindu - October 5, 2008
  20. http://www.dailypioneer.com/19104/Widespread-anger-in-Kandhamal-over-killings.html
  21. Maoists were hired to kill Laxmanananda: Police Press Trust of India - October 16, 2008
  22. "Maoists hired to kill Laxmanandas Orissa police" (Press release). Rediff. 17 October, 2008. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  23. http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/17/stories/2008101757661200.htm

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