Immolation sequel

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33211, 28 April 1973, Page 15

Immolation sequel

(X Z P .A -Reuter — Copyright)

NEW DELHI. April 27.

The Indian police have) dropped charges of murder against an American Columbia Broadcasting System! camera team in connection! with the alleged self-immo-! lation of a Hindu monk. The cameraman. Surendra Tai, an Indian citizen, and a French sound recordist. Pat- 1 ricia Durgeme, were arrested and charged in connection with the alleged self-immo-! lation of the monk in New Delhi on Tuesday. However, charges of crim-' inal conspiracy still stand against the C.B.S. team and both accused were remanded in custody until Monday. Sect leader in gaol The controversy arose as the Hindu holy man. from the Ananda Marga (Path to Eternal Bliss) yoga sect died in flames at the fifteenth centurv Delhi fort of Purana Khila. A spokesman for the sect said the man. Acharya Ganesshanand Avadhoot. aged 32. set fire to himself to protest against alleged attempts to poison his guru. Prahbat Ranjan Sarkar. who is in gaol on charges of murdering five of his followers. Police, who arrived while the body was still burning, said it was not a case of selfimmolation and arrested two other Ananda Marga monks

and charged them with murder Apparently a cameraman j was present at the drama and; police said later that a cam-! ■era, film, negatives and documents were seized from the C.B.S. team. The Delhi Photo-Journal-ists’ Association has appealed to the Prime Minister (Mrs Gandhi) to intervene for the release of the C.B.S. team.