Atrocities against women: Sadhu wants 'Samadhi'

Swami Shyamanand Saraswati was physically removed by police and other administrative officials from the proposed site of his 'samadhi' and a nine-feet-by-nine-feet pit, which he had got dug up for the purpose, was filled with mud.

As per the sadhu's plans, after performing puja, he was to enter the pit and lie there for nine days after his supporters covered him with three-feet-thick layer of mud.

Saraswati claims to be a 'naga' sadhu and moves about wearing only a loincloth and matted hair with ash smeared on his body, even though he does not belong to any of the 'akharas' of ascetics.

He has claimed that in the past, he has taken 'samadhi' as many as 11 times, mostly in places like Vrindavan and Haridwar.