VRINDAVAN — The investigation into the death of Deepak Lodhi, a disciple of prominent spiritual figure Sant Premanand Maharaj, has intensified following new forensic discoveries and surveillance footage that documented his final moments before a fatal fourth-floor leap in Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan. While local authorities are treating the demise of Lodhi, also known as Rashik Dulari Sharan, as a case of suicide, detectives are examining physical and digital evidence to piece together the sequence of events preceding the fatal fall.
Lodhi, who was initiated into the ashram fold roughly two years ago, died on Friday morning after falling from the terrace of the Guru Kripa Kunj Ashram. Security camera footage reviewed by investigators shows Lodhi stepping out of his room around 10:25 a.m. with blood visible on his clothing. The recordings reveal him lingering outside his room before proceeding from the third floor to the fourth-floor terrace, where he sat and briefly lay down before jumping at approximately 10:36 a.m.. He was transported to a local medical centre with extensive trauma to his head and body, where attending physicians pronounced him dead. A post-mortem examination determined that the official cause of death was excessive bleeding.
The inquiry took a complex turn when investigators recovered an electric grinder from Lodhi’s living quarters, alongside evidence of a severe injury sustained to his private parts prior to the fall. Vrindavan Circle Officer Sandeep Kumar Singh stated that the origins and circumstances of the injury remain undetermined pending comprehensive forensic testing. In addition to sending blood samples for laboratory analysis, authorities have seized Lodhi’s smartphone to retrieve deleted media files, text messages, and call histories that may shed light on his mental state or interactions leading up to the tragedy.
The incident has triggered growing concern across local religious circles, prompting calls for a high-level inquiry from several prominent sadhus in Vrindavan. Mahant Mohini Sharan Maharaj publicly questioned the lack of formal communication from ashram management following the incident and urged senior district administrators to conduct a thorough, independent investigation. As forensic experts work to reconstruct deleted electronic files and analyse physical evidence from the room, investigators continue to interview ashram residents to establish whether external factors precipitated the death.
