Ayodhya, Dec. 5 -- An alleged attempt was made to burn alive Mahant Mahesh Das, a saint of Hanuman Garhi's Govindgarh Ashram, in the early hours of the night.
According to the saint, at around 2:45 am, unidentified individuals cut the window mesh of his room and threw inflammable material inside while he was asleep.
Mahesh Das said he woke up when the heat of the spreading flames reached his bed. "The entire room was filled with smoke and fire. I somehow ran outside and raised an alarm," he recounted.
Hearing his cries, disciples rushed to help and managed to douse the fire within half an hour using water and sand. By then, bedding and other belongings had been completely burnt. He immediately informed the police.
The saint alleges that...