Police register case under Section 301; accused remanded for 15 days
Ujjain police on Thursday arrested a self‑styled ‘aghori’ after a video circulated on social media appeared to show the accused removing a piece from a burning funeral pyre and consuming it at a local cremation ground, officials said.
Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said a complaint was lodged at the Jiwajiganj police station by Vishnunath Maharaj, who lives at the cremation ground. A case was registered under Section 301 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which covers trespass on burial places, disturbing funeral ceremonies and indignity to a human corpse. The accused was arrested on Tuesday and the court remanded them to judicial custody for 15 days, the SP said.
- Location identified as Chakratirth cremation ground in Ujjain; the complainant lives at the cremation site.
- The accused is known on social media as a ‘Lady Aghori’ and has published ritual videos from religious sites.
- Police say they have opened a detailed probe into the accused’s antecedents and sources of income.
Allegations of financial deception under scrutiny
According to police statements reported by national news agencies, probe teams have received complaints alleging that the accused, identified in one report as Kali Nand Giri (born Alluri Srinivas), adopted a transgender identity and used the persona online. The SP said investigators encountered allegations that the accused had defrauded a woman in Telangana and had taken ₹10 lakh from another woman on the pretext of performing tantric rituals. Officers said they are gathering details about these cases and examining the accused’s social‑media activity and claimed sources of income.
"We are gathering details (about the cases) and sources of her income," Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said, according to reporting from national agencies.
Religious community condemns act, stresses confidentiality of sadhana
Leaders and practitioners associated with the Aghori tradition in Ujjain condemned the act as disrespectful and unrepresentative of their practices, according to ThePrint and other reports. Members of the community said touching or consuming human remains is not prescribed in Aghori or Shaiva scriptures and that publicising such acts damages the reputation of genuine practitioners.
One senior figure from the Juna Akhara, Mahamandaleshwar Shaileshanand Giri, was reported as saying the incident cannot be tolerated in a civilised society and that authentic Aghori sadhana is traditionally kept confidential; public performance or display may indicate fraudulent intent.
| Detail | Reported information |
|---|---|
| Arresting authority | Ujjain Police (SP Pradeep Sharma) |
| Charges | Section 301, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (indignity to corpse/cremation disturbance) |
| Custody status | Judicial remand for 15 days |
| Alleged additional complaints | Fraudulent monetary demands; reported ₹10 lakh taken for tantric ritual |
Local implications and next steps
The case has drawn attention across Ujjain, a city with deep religious heritage and numerous cremation‑ground‑based ascetic traditions. Officials said further action will depend on forensic examination of the video, verification of identities and corroboration of the financial‑fraud allegations. The police have said they will trace the accused’s social‑media accounts and gather statements from the complainant and witnesses at the cremation ground.
Investigators will also consider statements from Aghori practitioners who have publicly criticised the act and urged that offenders not be allowed to represent the sect. Any prosecution will proceed on the basis of the FIR and evidence collected during the probe, officials said in the reports.
As the matter proceeds through the criminal‑justice process, residents and religious groups in Ujjain will watch both the legal outcome and any regulatory or administrative steps the administration may take to protect sanctity at cremation sites and curb exploitation in the name of faith.
