Swami Lakshmanananda Killing / 18 Years On, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati’s Killing Still Shrouded in Mystery

Bhubaneswar, Sept 3: Eighteen years after the brutal killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati in Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Janmashtami night in 2008, the mystery surrounding the attack remains unresolved. Despite multiple commissions of inquiry and years of investigation, justice continues to elude his followers and the inmates of the Sanskrit Kanyashram.

On that fateful night, armed assailants barged into the Jalespeta Ashram and killed the revered Vedanta Kesari and his associates, triggering widespread violence across Kandhamal. The incident left a deep scar on Odisha’s social fabric, with Hindu communities demanding accountability and closure.

Successive governments set up commissions headed by Justice Sarat Chandra Mohapatra and Justice A S Naidu. The Naidu Commission submitted its report in December 2015, but it was never made public. Adding to the controversy, crucial files related to the inquiry reportedly went missing from Lok Seva Bhavan, prompting FIRs and a Crime Branch probe.

The current investigation has summoned several senior officials from the previous administration, including VK Pandian, Rajesh Verma, Manoj Mishra and UN Behera. Searches were also conducted at the residence of BN Maharana, a clerk in the former Chief Minister’s office.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has assured that the truth will be revealed and justice delivered, vowing that “every drop of Swamiji’s blood will find justice.” Security has been tightened across Kandhamal ahead of the 18th Balidan Divas, with police platoons deployed at sensitive ashrams and intensified patrolling in vulnerable areas.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway at Chakapad Gurukul Ashram and Tumudibandh Sanskrit Kanyashram to mark the death anniversary of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati with yajnas, memorial prayers and community feasts. For devotees and disciples, the day is not only a remembrance of sacrifice but also a renewed call for truth and closure.