| Matha
Amrithananda Mayi - Mysterious death at the Ashram In Summer of 2002, a French female - Caroline
Abitbole - died in mysterious circumstances at the
Ashram of Mata AmrithanandaMayi in Quilon. No proper
investigation was carried out. The Police simply accepted
the version given to them by Ashram followers. Human
Rights in Kerala took up the issue to French Embassy in
Delhi. Here is a summary of their letter:
Apart from newspaper reports, our attention was
particularly drawn to
the incident by a two-column advertisement
inserted by her husband Dr.
Rajen Ragavan (1, ALEEDUMONT AUX DROUX, 71140
BOURBON-LANCY, FRANCE) in
a couple of Malayalam dailies on August 10, 2002.
Claiming Ms.
Caroline’s death as suicide, Dr.
Ragavan’s advertisement curiously warned
that legal action would be initiated against
anybody who “ irresponsibly
spread or publish wrong information”
pertaining to his wife’s death.
The suspicion over Ms. Caroline’s death was
aroused since earlier news
reports said that her body, after falling from
the 8th floor of a
building within the “Ashram” premises,
was found with the head separated
from the body -- which is a near impossibility in
such suicidal deaths.
Apart from this, at least a dozen suspicious
deaths of
inmates/devotees, both of Indian and foreign
origin, had taken place in the same
“Ashram” in recent years.
Barring Dr. Ragavan’s warning, his claims in
the lengthy advertisement
are self-contradictory to raise numerous
questions begging answers.
Some of them are : -
First para of the advertisement said : “My
wife was a psychic patient
for the past more than 20 years. Soon after the
symptoms of her
disease was identified on August 5th morning, the
“Ashram” authorities
telephonically informed me about it. I informed
them to administer her
“Haloperidole” injection, which is
usually given under such circumstances.
One of the “Ashram” doctors, Dr. Jaggu,
gave the injection immediately.
From the same morning onwards, our mutual friends
had taken turns in
looking after her….” If such a care and
attention was given to Caroline,
how come she could jump and commit suicide later
on the same day?
Apart from this question, a sentence in the
fourth para of the
advertisement contradicted the earlier claim :
“Since the “Ashram” has become a
major pilgrim center, separate attention cannot
be given to anybody.”
More notably, the advertisement said : “We
have two flats at
Amrithapuri. Myself and Caroline used to go and
stay there together and
separately. In order to see the Western sea and
other natural beauty
undisturbed, she insisted to remove the long iron
bars on the widow in the flat.
For Caroline’s happiness, we both together
removed the widow bars. Let
me take this opportunity to regretfully submit
that this was done
without the permission or information of the
“Ashram” authorities.”
Dr. Ragavan’s advertisement continued :
“Caroline had psychic disorders
in 1980 at Canada, in 1987 at Thailand, in 1989
at Rishikesh, and in
1998 at California. Chavara police arrested her
in 1994 for attempt to
commit suicide by jumping into sea. One or two
years before that, she
was arrested at Ernakulam for walking naked on a
road.”
The following questions emerge : 1) Has the
“Ashram” got
recognition/registration from Kerala/Indian
authorities as a place for mental cure?
2) Had the stipulations and conditions imposed by
Indian authorities on
private mental institutions, following the
en-mass death of mental
patients in a private place of worship at Yarwadi
in Tamil Nadu last year,
been followed in this “Ashram” in
Kerala? 3) Why a patient, with a
chronic psychic history of 22 years, as well as
involved in criminal
cases, was allowed to stay in the
“Ashram” that, too, without her
husband?
4) Despite her psychic history, why the iron bars
in the window on the
8th floor flat was removed without the
information/permission of the
“Ashram” authorities? 5) Was the
earlier news reports that Dr. Ragavan
had first met Caroline at this very
“Ashram” genuine and correct? 6) How
and where their marriage was solemnised? 7) Since
all unnatural
deaths had to be subjected to thorough probe
according to Indian and French
law, what prompted Dr. Ragavan to take the
extra-ordinary measure of
releasing such an advertisement warning anybody
raising doubts/questions
on Caroline’s death within five days of the
incident?
We also wish to submit that a large number of
dignitaries, including
ruling politicians, Judges, and Police Officers
are the devotees of
Matha Amrithanandamayi and visitors to the
“Amrithanandapuri Ashram”.
We, therefore, feel that an impartial probe to
bring out the truth on
the grounds and circumstances that led to Ms.
Caroline’s death is almost
impossible without the serious interference of
Your Excellency
representing the interests of both the French
government and French citizens in
India.
Since the question of following whichever belief
and faith should not
be at the cost of Constitutional rule of law and
governance, we seek
your rapt attention and urgent interference in
this issue.
/sd |
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