Hundreds of Jains gathered at Vile Parle on Sunday morning to protest against the deaths of two monks in road accidents last week.
The monks were on a vihara, or walking trips, when they died. One of them was 70-years-old Acharya Pundarik Ratna Surishwarji from the Deravasi sect who died near Pali in Rajasthan on May 28 when he was hit by a mini truck while trekking with a group of monks. In the second incident, a 65-year-old monk Abhinandanji was killed near Bardoli in Gujarat in the morning on May 29.
Jains who gathered at the Chintamani Parshwanath Jain Derasar, Vile Parle East, said that the deaths were not accidents but murders. In the Pali incident, the driver was detained the next day and the vehicle involved in the incident seized. The accused has been charged under section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder. There have been no arrests in the Bardoli case.
Advocate Kamlesh Shah, who participated in Sunday’s meeting said that the Jain community had reasons to suspect that the deaths were not accidents. The deaths happened during daylight and on roads that were not very busy, said Shah. “In Pali, the monk was walking with more than ten others along a narrow lane when the truck followed him, took a turn and fled after hitting him. The police caught the suspect but did not send him to police custody. He was released the next day before being detained again due to pressure from the community. Jains fear that the police will try to dilute the charges by replacing section 103 with 304 (1) of the Indian Penal Code which is a charge for death caused due to negligence. This is a bailable offence,” said Shah.
Jain sadhus and sadhvis avoid motorised vehicles while travelling from one community to another. However, the practice is fraught with danger as they have to walk on busy roads. Jain community groups estimated that one or two deaths are reported every month from across the country.
Though there are conspiracy theories, this has not been established. Jain monks are not supposed to own any possessions. However, many Jains are convinced that some of the deaths could be murders. “These murders target the very soul of the Jain faith. This is a time for Jains to awaken, unite, and demonstrate their loyalty to their faith,” said a community member.
