ALMORA: Underworld don Prakash Pandey, also known as ‘PP’ in the corridors of crime, while serving a life sentence and facing several pending court cases for extortion, robbery and murder, was initiated into ‘monkhood‘ in Uttarakhand’s Almora jail and will now be known as ‘Prakasha Nand Giri’. Jail officials, however, denied any involvement in the matter.
The initiation, which took about 25 minutes, was conducted by at least three senior seers purportedly from the Juna Akhara sect inside the prison complex on Thursday, raising questions about how a notorious criminal was allowed to undergo such a ceremony. In jail, Pandey was declared a “successor” and was provided a Kanthi mala, Rudraksha mala and saffron clothes.
Distancing themselves from the ceremony, Almora jail superintendent Jayant Pangti said on Friday, “A few religious people visited the prison and sought permission to meet Prakash Pandey. Three of them were allowed to go inside. It seems they spent some time with him and whatever they discussed about religion inside is their personal matter. There was no involvement of prison administration and we’re not concerned with their claims.”
DIG (prisons), Dadhiram Maurya, said he came to know about the incident from social media. He added: “Jail superintendent didn’t send us a report of any such incident. But, we’ve initiated an internal probe to ascertain what actually happened, following which further measures would be taken.”
After the prison ‘ritual’, Rajendra Giri, who claimed to be from Juna Akhara and was present at the event, said, “Prakasha Nand Giri had expressed his desire to renounce his criminal past and turn towards religion. He showed his willingness to embrace the spiritual path and we respected his wish.”
Giri added: “In next year’s Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, he will undergo further rituals, including a formal ceremony to be named ‘mandaleshwar’, a prestigious title in the akhara tradition. If he continues on this spiritual path, it might inspire others with a troubled past as well.” The seers also held a press conference in which they claimed to have “come from Haridwar Juna Akhara”.
However, Har Giri, a senior functionary at Juna Akhara in Haridwar, said, “A committee, comprising retired and current office-bearers of Juna Akhara, has been set up to investigate the matter. It will also discuss who made whom a head of a ‘mutth’… If any person wishes to adopt ‘sannyas’ (renunciation) or follow Sanatan Dharma, we cannot stop him. We’re not violating any law or court rules.”
Incidentally, despite his criminal background, Pandey — now in his 50s — has been declared as a successor to some ‘mutths’, including Kamad in Munsyari and Lamkeshwar in Gangolihat.
Pandey alias Bunty — a feared name in the underworld during the 1990s — was one of Uttarakhand’s most wanted criminals. Over the years, he was involved in numerous crimes, including extorting Bollywood celebrities and politicians. Held in Vietnam in 2010, Pandey had been in and out of various prisons across the state.
In Almora jail, he became increasingly involved in religious activities. Earlier this year, as per reports, Acharya Dandinath, a religious leader from Nepal, also initiated him into the ‘Nath’ sect, naming him ‘Yogi Prakash Nath’.
The initiation, which took about 25 minutes, was conducted by at least three senior seers purportedly from the Juna Akhara sect inside the prison complex on Thursday, raising questions about how a notorious criminal was allowed to undergo such a ceremony. In jail, Pandey was declared a “successor” and was provided a Kanthi mala, Rudraksha mala and saffron clothes.
Distancing themselves from the ceremony, Almora jail superintendent Jayant Pangti said on Friday, “A few religious people visited the prison and sought permission to meet Prakash Pandey. Three of them were allowed to go inside. It seems they spent some time with him and whatever they discussed about religion inside is their personal matter. There was no involvement of prison administration and we’re not concerned with their claims.”
DIG (prisons), Dadhiram Maurya, said he came to know about the incident from social media. He added: “Jail superintendent didn’t send us a report of any such incident. But, we’ve initiated an internal probe to ascertain what actually happened, following which further measures would be taken.”
After the prison ‘ritual’, Rajendra Giri, who claimed to be from Juna Akhara and was present at the event, said, “Prakasha Nand Giri had expressed his desire to renounce his criminal past and turn towards religion. He showed his willingness to embrace the spiritual path and we respected his wish.”
Giri added: “In next year’s Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, he will undergo further rituals, including a formal ceremony to be named ‘mandaleshwar’, a prestigious title in the akhara tradition. If he continues on this spiritual path, it might inspire others with a troubled past as well.” The seers also held a press conference in which they claimed to have “come from Haridwar Juna Akhara”.
However, Har Giri, a senior functionary at Juna Akhara in Haridwar, said, “A committee, comprising retired and current office-bearers of Juna Akhara, has been set up to investigate the matter. It will also discuss who made whom a head of a ‘mutth’… If any person wishes to adopt ‘sannyas’ (renunciation) or follow Sanatan Dharma, we cannot stop him. We’re not violating any law or court rules.”
Incidentally, despite his criminal background, Pandey — now in his 50s — has been declared as a successor to some ‘mutths’, including Kamad in Munsyari and Lamkeshwar in Gangolihat.
Pandey alias Bunty — a feared name in the underworld during the 1990s — was one of Uttarakhand’s most wanted criminals. Over the years, he was involved in numerous crimes, including extorting Bollywood celebrities and politicians. Held in Vietnam in 2010, Pandey had been in and out of various prisons across the state.
In Almora jail, he became increasingly involved in religious activities. Earlier this year, as per reports, Acharya Dandinath, a religious leader from Nepal, also initiated him into the ‘Nath’ sect, naming him ‘Yogi Prakash Nath’.
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