The parents of Sangeetha Arjunan (24), a ‘sanyasini’ at Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, near Bidadi, have sought a probe into her death suspecting foul play.
Sangeetha, who was from Tiruchi in Tamil Nadu, died on December 28. She collapsed in the ashram and died while being taken to a hospital in Bengaluru. While ashram authorities have said Sangeetha died of cardiac arrest, her family and friends have alleged foul play.
Petition submittedSangeetha’s father, Arjunan, and mother, Jhansirani, met Ramanagaram Superintendent of Police (SP) Chandragupta on Saturday and submitted a petition seeking a “through probe” into their daughter’s death. He said no first information report was registered.
Mr. Chandragupta told The Hindu , “Sangeetha’s mother filed a complaint of unnatural death with us on December 29.” According to sources in the SP’s office, some supporters of Nithyananda prevented the couple from addressing the media.
Mr. Arjunan had filed a petition against the ashram authorities with Ramji Nagar police in Tiruchi. The Ramji Nagar police had instructed the couple to approach the jurisdictional Ramanagaram police, a relative of Ms. Sangeetha told presspersons.
In a statement, the ashram authorities said Sangeetha died of cardiac arrest. They claimed some of her family members had died at a young age owing to cardiac problems. Her cousin died of cardiac arrest a day before Sangeetha’s death, they claimed.
Sangeetha had been staying in the ashram for the past four years. She was renamed ‘Ma Nithya Turiyateetananda’ after she joined the ashram.
