In a twisted tale, an episode of Aniruddhacharya Maharaj’s (popularly known as Pookie Baba) katha series led to the murder of a devotee in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district.
For 45-year-old Inder Kumar Tiwari from Madhya Pradesh, marriage was a question mark. He attended one of Aniruddhacharya Maharaj’s preaching sessions and asked for his guidance on the matter.
“I own 18 acres of land, but still unmarried. What am I to do with the land?” Inder Kumar asks in the now-viral video. “Who will look after my land when I am gone if I do not have children?” he put forward his concern.
Aniruddhacharya Maharaj, laughing, told the man, “It seems Lord Brahma forgot to make someone for you.” In Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma is associated with marriage.
Unbeknownst to both, this moment would become the spark for a sinister murder plot.
Soon after, Inder was contacted by Kushi Tiwari, who expressed her desire to marry him. He met her ‘brother’, Kaushal Kumar, and agreed to the proposal.
On June 2, Inder left for Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, telling relatives he would return by June 6.
He got married to Kushi in proper Hindu traditions. The marriage was videotaped as proof.
And then they poisoned Inder Kumar.
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Inder’s body was identified on June 11 when Majhauli police arrived in Gorakhpur after his family lost all contact. A missing person case was filed by neighbours on June 8, three days after the wedding.
Kushi and Kaushal later produced an affidavit purportedly signed by Inder, claiming that in the event of his passing, all his properties will be inherited by his wife.
As police began the investigation, it was discovered that Kushi Kumar’s real name was Sahiba Bano and Kaushal Kumar was her boyfriend. The couple hatched a plan to kill and seize Inder’s property after watching him in one of Aniruddhacharya Maharaj’s videos.
“In the religious program, Inder claimed he had 18 acres of land. In reality, he owned only three acres,” Jabalpur additional superintendent of police (ASP) Suryakant Sharma revealed.
Both Kaushal and Sahiba have been apprehended for the murder. Inder’s brother Harishankar told reporters that Inder commissioned jewellery for the wedding worth Rs 1.2 lakhs, all of which was stolen and pawned by the couple.
