Prayagraj: Even 30 hours after the attack on Ashutosh Maharaj, the GRP teams are yet to identify the attacker, even as other angles—including a social media claim—are being examined.Maharaj, who had filed an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and his disciple for allegedly sexually exploiting two minor boys at his ashram, had alleged that he was attacked by an unidentified person on the Rewa Express near Sirathu railway station in UP on Sunday. Maharaj claimed that he was travelling on an AC first-class coach from Ghaziabad to Prayagraj in connection with the hearing of the case at the Allahabad high court. When the train was approaching Sirathu station, Ashutosh went to the toilet, where an unidentified person allegedly attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon. Ashutosh said he managed to save his life after locking himself in the toilet. Ashutosh, who is also a plaintiff in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah case, sustained injuries to his nose and left upper arm region and was taken to Colvin Hospital in Prayagraj for treatment. He cast suspicion on Swami Avimuketshwaranad and others and claimed that a man from Mathura announced a Rs 21 lakh prize for cutting off his nose. A senior GRP official told TOI: “Police are compiling evidence and carrying out thorough investigations. Things will be cleared shortly as cops are connecting the series of incidents, including scanning CCTV footage and recording and verifying the statements of other passengers.” Meanwhile, a Facebook user– Swati Aghori– claimed responsibility for the attack and claimed that Ashutosh survived because he hid in a toilet. Police, however, are verifying the authenticity of the post. Meanwhile, the national spokesman of Swami Avimukteshwaranand, Shailendra Yogiraj Sarkar, told reporters that they do not know any Swati Aghori and had nothing to do with her.
