I could have died: Elderly priest alleges assault by UP cops at Sangam

An 85-year-old priest has alleged that he was brutally assaulted by police personnel during the confrontation that broke out at the Sangam in Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya on Sunday, when the chariot procession of Jyotirmath Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati was stopped by the administration citing crowd pressure and security concerns.

Speaking to the press, the elderly sadhu alleged that he was beaten severely during the incident. “Jooton se kuchla hai, bahut buri tarah mara gaya hai. Dobara maarte to mar hi jaata (I was trampled with boots and beaten very badly. Had they beaten me again, I would have died),” he said.

According to the priest, he was assaulted at the time when police personnel intervened to prevent the Shankaracharya’s chariot from proceeding towards the Sangam for the ritual bath.

He alleged that the police action occurred when objections were raised over the request for the Shankaracharya to step down from the chariot and move on foot, leading to a scuffle between police and supporters present at the spot.

The incident took place amid massive crowds at the Sangam, where lakhs of devotees had gathered for the Mauni Amavasya holy dip as part of the ongoing Magh Mela. Police sources have maintained that restrictions were imposed purely for crowd control and safety reasons due to the heavy rush of pilgrims.

Senior officials, including additional director-general Ajay Pal Sharma, reached the spot to manage the situation and prevent further escalation. The Shankaracharya later declined to take the holy dip, stating that the administration had stopped him from performing the ritual, and returned without bathing.

There was no immediate official response to the specific allegation made by the elderly priest regarding the assault during the police action. The administration has not issued a detailed statement on whether any inquiry will be conducted into the alleged assault.

The Magh Mela administration has said that Mauni Amavasya witnessed one of the heaviest turnouts of the season, with around 1.9 crore devotees taking a dip at the confluence by Sunday afternoon, necessitating strict crowd and security management measures across the mela area.