Stay on Dwarka Shankaracharya arrest brings cheer to followers

In a move that has brought relief to the Shardapeeth of Dwarka in Gujarat, the seat of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, one of the four Shankaracharyas of the county, the Allahabad High Court has stayed the arrest of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, against whom a police complaint was lodged in Allahabad.

However, the case brings to the fore yet again the intense rivalry that exists between the Dwarka peeth and the Haridwar peeth, mutts that are presided over by the Shankaracharyas.

The stay order was passed in connection with a criminal case flied on behalf of Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth Badrikashram (Haridwar), following a clash between followers of the two seers during the Megh Mela in February at Allahabad.

The stay order, issued by the Allahabad High Court against the arrest of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati of Shardapeeth on Wednesday has brought cheer to the disciples of the Dwarka Shankaracharya.

The stay order was passed by justice V K Chaturvedi on a revision petition filed by Swami Swaroopanand, who had moved the court challenging an order of the additional chief judicial magistrate. The Allahabad lower court had passed an order asking the police to investigate the matter.

"The stay order has come as a welcome respite and has caused happiness among disciples of the seer," said Parimal Nathwani, vice chairman of the Dwarkadheesh Devasthan Samiti.

The Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati of Dwarka is presently in Varanasi to deliver religious discourses and could not be reached for comment.

The Dwarkadheesh Devasthan Samiti has also refuted allegations levelled by Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati at media briefing in Dehradun earlier this month, that certain items were also stolen from followers of the Haridwar peeth.