‘False And Baseless’: Virat Kohli’s Team Denies INR 5 Crore Claim Over Visit To Premanand Maharaj Ashram

 

 

Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has often been seen visiting Premanand Maharaj’s Ashram in Vrindavan. Recently, his visits increased, and a controversy erupted around it when Dinesh Shama, known as Falahari Maharaj, made an explosive claim related to his visit. However, Kohli’s team has now stated that there is no truth to those claims.

While releasing a statement in response to Falahari Maharaj’s claim that INR 5 Crore was spent for Kohli’s visit to Premanand Maharaj’s Ashram.

"We would like to categorically state that the claims made by Falahari Maharaj Dinesh Sharma in regard to Mr Virat Kohli are completely false, baseless and factually incorrect," a statement from Kohli's spokesperson read, as quoted by IANS.

 

"Mr. Virat Kohli visits Premanand Maharaj Ji purely out of his deep faith and reverence for Maharaj Ji," the statement further added.

Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma have been paying regular visits to Swami Premanand’s Ashram since their first visit in January 2023.

 

For the unversed, Falahari Maharaj Dinesh Sharma claimed that INR 5 Crore was spent for Kohli’s visit in a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In the letter, he claimed that the money was spent to increase the popularity and reach of the Ashram. He also made an allegation in the letter that a builder lobby and land mafia had been using the name of Premanand Maharaj’s ashram to run an extortion racket.

The response from Kohli’s team has come after the allegations became the talk of the town recently.

Why is Premanand Maharaj Ashram in the news?

Spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj is in the spotlight due to an ongoing controversy around the suspicious death of his 25-year-old disciple, Deepak Lodhi (also known as Rasik Dulari Sharan). The investigations are going into the case.

 

Deepak Lodhi fell from the fourth floor of the ba building in the Ashram in Vrindavan. Although the preliminary inquiry suggested a fall/suicide, medical analysts have suggested foul play. Only the conclusion of the investigation will reveal the chain of events in the coming days.

 

Kohli recently featured in the ODI series between India and the West Indies, where India won by 2-1. India won the first two matches, but West Indies also showed their prowess in the third ODI, registering their highest successful chase in the format.

Kohli shone in the first match with his unbeaten 139 in the series opener. During his knock, he became the first batter to score 15,000 ODI runs. He registered scores of 29 and a duck in the next two matches.

Kohli will be back on the 22-yard strip next month in the ODI tour of New Zealand, where India will play five ODIs across Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui. The matches will start on November 4.