13 saints injured in armed fight at Ujjain Simhastha

INDORE: As many as 13 saints sustained injuries when two groups of Ahvahan Akhara fought over election to a top post in the body in Ujjain during ongoing Simtastha on Thursday.

The saints used swords, spears, tridents and sticks to attack each other after the dispute flared up during the election process at Avahan Akhara, police said.

One of the saints, Om Puri Maharaj, sustained a gunshot wound on his thigh and was rushed to the district hospital. He was successfully operated upon and the bullet removed, hospital authorities said.

The fight broke out when the akhara top functionaries had gathered in Dutt Akhara zone of Simhastha fair area to elect a member to the post of ‘Shri Mahant’, sources said adding a consensus was arrived upon the name of the saint who would be elevated for the post before the functionaries gathered. But, another person was announced as the Shri Mahant, thus sparking a protest from a group of saints.

The groups took out weapons and fired shots at each other, police said.

Among the saints injured in the attack were Rahul Puri, Rajesh Puri, Bhola Puri, Sanatan Puri, Raghav Puri and Nagendra Puri.

Mahakal police station in-charge Anil Singh Chouhan told TOI that the matter was at present being handled by policemen at a temporary police station. No formal complaint has been received yet.

Meanwhile, the injured sadhus were administered treatment at different medical centres set up by the Ujjain administration. Doctors claim that all the victims were out of danger.