Nigamanand case: Fresh viscera test ordered

On allegations that Swami Nigamanand was poisoned, authorities on Thursday ordered a second viscera test of the seer who died after a four-month fast against quarrying in Ganga river bed.Haridwar District Magistrate Meenakshi Sundaram has decided that another sample of viscera of Nigamanand be taken after the founder head of Matri Sadan ashram and his guru, Shivanand, gave a written request in this regard, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kewal Khurana, a day after the Uttarakhand Government recommended a CBI probe into the circumstances of his death.

A panel of doctors will take the sample at Matri Sadan ashram, where the body of the 36-year-old seer has been kept.The DM also made it clear that it is not a second post mortem and that only viscera samples will suffice, officials said on Thursday.Uttarakhand Minister Madan Kaushik had on Wednesday said that the government is ready for a fresh viscera test if the ashram and his family members are not satisfied.

Though the post mortem report of Nigamanand had stated coma, septicaemia and degenerative brain disorder as the cause of death, Shivanand had alleged that Nigamanand died of poisoning after he was administered a lethal injection at the behest of quarrying mafia.The death of Nigamanand on 13th June has sparked intense criticism of the BJP government with opposition Congress on Thursday demanding resignation of Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank alleging that the seer could not be saved due to negligence of the state government.

"The death of Nigamanand due to lack of proper medical care clearly shows that the BJP government has completely failed to discharge its duty," spokesman of Uttarakhand Congress Legislature Party Kishore Upadhyay said on Thursday.

"Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank should immediately resign from the post," he said.

Meanwhile, a tussle broke out between the ashram and seer's family members over taking possession of the seer's body.

The family threatened to go on an indefinite fast if the body is not handed over to them for the last rites.

Nigamanand's father Subhash Chandra Jha and other family members, who reached the ashram at Haridwar, said they wanted to perform his last rites at his native place in Darbhanga district of Bihar, Superintendent of Police (City) K L Shah said.

However, their request has been turned down by the sadhus of the ashram who said that Swami was a sadhu and so he will be given 'Bhu samadhi' in the ashram itself, Shah said.

The administration is taking legal opinion on the issue following which a decision in this regard would be taken, Shah said.

Meanwhile, Nigamanand's family has threatened to sit on an indefinite fast outside the ashram if the body was not handed over to him.

Nigamanand's elder brother Satyam Kumar Ashish alleged that the seer had told him there was pressure on him from his guru to undertake a fast and continue it even when he was not in the condition to do so.

"Nobody is helping us.... we were allowed to see the body for not more that 10 minutes. We are helpless. We will go on a hunger strike and die, that's all," he said.The Congress alleged that proper medical care was not provided to Nigamanand as the state government is under pressure from quarrying mafia.Upadhyaya claimed that he and Union Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat wrote a letter to Chief Minister that Nigamanand should be shifted to AIIMS in New Delhi but no attention was given to their concerns.