Jain monk cremated at Ghaziabad school, residents approach police

Police pacified the locals and later called the school managing committee members at the police station on Thursday morning.

Residents of the upscale Kavi Nagar locality in Ghaziabad approached police after a Jain monk was cremated in a nearby school run by the community on Wednesday.

A Jain muni was cremated inside the premises of the Jainmati Ujagarmal School on Thursday evening. (Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

Police said this was the second such incident reported from the Jainmati Ujagarmal Jain High School, an aided school which runs Classes 6 to 12 and has nearly 400 students.

The district magistrate and police have assured the residents of suitable action since the cremation was done “inside a school next to residential area in the heart of Ghaziabad city”. The school officials said that they will prepare a samadhi (memorial) at the spot where the funeral rites of the “muni” were performed on Wednesday.

“There was an unusual odour. When I came out of my shop, I saw a crowd of local residents at the school gates and inside the building. Police also came. I also went inside and saw a cremation was underway,” said Arif Khan, a local resident, who runs a salon situated next to the school.

“The cremation was done near one of the classroom blocks. Such events are unheard of inside a school complex,” he said.

“We told them about the objections raised by the local residents. The office bearers of the school committee assured that no such activity will be taken up at the school compound in the future. However, we will ensure that they give and undertaking and sign a personal bond of ₹1 lakh,” said Samarjeet Singh, station house officer, Kavi Nagar police station.

The members of the Jain community said that the “muni,” along with a “sangh” (group) of nearly 70 others, had come to nearby Jain temple during the days of “Chaturmas”. He suddenly developed health complications and went into a “samadhi”, they said.

“His condition deteriorated and he died on Tuesday evening. It was decided that his body should be cremated in the school. Another ‘muni’ had been cremated in the school around 15 days ago,” said Sushil Jain, chairman of the school committee.

“The previous cremation was performed in the night as we could not do it elsewhere. No such activity will take place in the school premises again. Such cremations (of religious leaders) are rarely done at public cremation grounds. There was a proper procession taken out before the last rites,” he said.

The school was opened on Thursday but the main gates were shut as the labourers were constructing a samadhi for the muni at the cremation spot.

“We will get an inquiry conducted into the incident,” said Ritu Maheshwari, district magistrate, Ghaziabad.

This is the second such incident in Ghaziabad. Earlier, a retired IAS officer had buried his wife in a part of his house at Shakti Khand in Indirapuram in June. The locals had complained to the district administration but the case was not pursued.