New Delhi, July 16, 2026: In a major escalation of local tensions, the Chhatarpur Police in Madhya Pradesh have arrested Shaligram Garg, the younger brother of high-profile Hindu spiritual leader Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba. Garg, along with his associate Ankit Mishra, was taken into custody following a violent clash over a land dispute that culminated in a shooting incident. The altercation, which unfolded in Koda village under the jurisdiction of the Rajnagar Police Station, left a local farmer critically injured with bullet wounds. As public outrage mounted over the high-handedness of the accused, Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Krishna Shastri swiftly issued a public statement, completely distancing himself and his organization from his brother’s actions.
According to senior police officials, the confrontation erupted during the early hours when an ongoing dispute regarding village land reached a boiling point. The victim, identified as Motilal Kushwaha, alleged that Shaligram Garg and a group of three to four armed associates forcefully stormed his property. Kushwaha stated that the group began brutally assaulting him with sticks, striking him repeatedly on his head and body. The situation rapidly turned near-fatal when the attackers drew firearms and opened fire. Kushwaha recounted seeing Garg actively firing a pistol, with three to four rounds discharged during the commotion. One of the bullets struck the farmer, leaving him in critical condition. Kushwaha was initially rushed to the local district hospital before being shifted to a medical college hospital for specialized, life-saving surgery to extract the bullet.
Following the incident, a video clip purportedly showing four men fleeing the scene of the crime went viral online. In the digital footage, one individual matching Garg’s description could be seen brandishing a weapon, providing immediate corroborative evidence for local law enforcement. Taking swift cognisance of the gravity of the attack, the Chhatarpur Police officially registered a case under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for attempt to murder. Additional Superintendent of Police Aditya Patle confirmed that two out of the four accused—Shaligram Garg and Ankit Mishra—have been apprehended, while dedicated police teams continue to conduct extensive raids across the district to capture the remaining absconding suspects. Investigators also stated that they have seized the firearm used in the assault, which will be sent for ballistic testing to aid the legal process.
As news of the attempted murder and subsequent arrest spread, political and social circles in Madhya Pradesh began calling for strict administrative measures. Dr. Anand Rai, a prominent political figure and whistle-blower, publicly urged the state government to invoke the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against Garg. The incident has also taken on political undertones due to the significant population of Kushwaha community voters in the region, putting pressure on authorities to handle the matter with complete transparency and impartiality. Local villagers further alleged that this was not an isolated event, asserting that Garg had a long-standing pattern of utilizing his proximity to the influential spiritual seat of Bageshwar Dham to intimidate local farmers and illegally encroach upon agrarian lands.
This arrest adds another chapter to Shaligram Garg’s growing history of legal altercations in the region. In February 2023, Chhatarpur police had booked him under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after a video surfaced showing him brandishing a pistol and threatening guests at a Dalit family’s wedding function. Later, in April 2024, Garg faced separate criminal charges in Sagar district for allegedly leading a physical assault against toll plaza workers during a transit dispute. Furthermore, in mid-2024, another family associated with the ashram accused him of entering their home to assault women and minors. Despite these recurring criminal complaints, Garg had consistently managed to secure bail, fueling local anger that culminated in the protests following this latest shooting.
Fearing severe damage to his massive spiritual following and the sanctity of the Bageshwar Dham shrine, Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri lost no time in severing ties with his brother publicly. Shastri, who has built a massive nationwide reputation for his religious discourses and advocacy of a unified cultural identity, emphasized that he does not support any form of lawlessness. In an official statement delivered through an interview, Shastri stated that he had cleanly broken off relations with Shaligram and his immediate family members nearly three years prior. “The entire world is my family, and I am solely dedicated to the service of the nation and my religion,” Shastri remarked, adding that the law must handle criminal matters independently without any external bias. He urged the public and the media not to drag his name or the name of the Bageshwar Dham institution into the individual illegal activities of his estranged family members. With the main accused currently behind bars, the district police maintain that the investigation will proceed strictly based on evidence, promising to bring all perpetrators involved in the brutal attack to justice.
You can watch the full media report detailing the incident and the police response in this video: Bageshwar Baba Dhirendra Shastri’s Brother Arrested For Firing At Farmer In Madhya Pradesh. This video provides crucial context on the land dispute, interviews with the victim’s family, and the official video statement issued by Dhirendra Krishna Shastri regarding the arrest.
