Police promise end to unending theories on Jain muni’s murder

The only delay, perhaps, is the modus operandi adopted by the police to catch the killers “by the collar”, as Police Inspector Shrikant Mahajan of the Crime Branch, says. Police intend to first reel in the assailants and then the conspirators, says Mahajan, who is investigating “purely the murder aspect” of the case.

Nearly half a dozen other officers from various police stations inthe city are trying to unravel the gamut of activities at the ashram like the frequent visits of certain women and the financial irregularities that may reflect in the account books police have seized from the premises. But no matter how confident the police appear to be, they have consistently dodged questions pertaining to the possible motive.

Was it linked to a sex scandal, or was it the outcome of a breach of trust between the muni and the trustees over financial matters? Or was it a simple dacoity, which is the theory currently being fielded?

Considering the vast donations that Jain devotees gave the ashram, (which could be as much as Rs 2 crore per year) and the uncanny knack the trustees have to attract donations, money seems to be the most likely motive for the murder. However, since the last few days, another theory is also being bandied about that a sex scandal may be involved. The angle emerged following the arrest and interrogation of the muni’s assistant. Police, though, refuse to confirmthis on record.

The Shiv Sena mouthpiece `Saamna’ carried a story mentioning the theory, which attracted the wrath of Jain youth. About 20 youth gathered at Mahaveer Bhavan, near Tilak Road on Sunday, and burnt copies of the newspaper in protest against the defamation of the muni. Instead of outright condemnation, however, the Jain community merely says: “It is not good to speak evil of the dead.”

On Monday Shrikant Mahajan shot off a letter to the `Saamna’ editor, asking why the paper attributed the `sex theory’ story to `anonymous’ police sources. “This might create a law and order situation in the city,” Mahajan told The Indian Express refusing to confirm or deny the theory’s authenticity.

Tension is also mounting within the community over the turn the investigation is taking. The secretary of the Guruganesh Shikshan Sanstha, which runs the ashram and the adjoining homoeopathic college, Suwalal Chalani, and its president, Champalal Desarda, have been extensively interrogated by the police inaddition to the college principal Shantilal Desarda.

Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police M N Singh (CID), who arrived here last evening, categorically stated that the case had never been assigned to the CID. “I am not here in connection with the Muni murder case he told reporters who met him.

However, not many are convinced of Singh’s statement. He may not be supervising the case but he may have a say in the investigations, sources said. Among those who met him was a former two-term member of Parliament.