One suspect has been arrested for the murder of two priests in a Bulandshahr village in the early hours of Tuesday, police said. The murders sent shockwaves in the region as it reminded locals of the Palghar lynching incident in Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took note of the gruesome murder and directed police to take quick action.
According to Santosh Kumar Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Bulandshahr, the chowkidar of the village Pagona under Anoopshahr police station found the bodies of two priests, Sher Singh, 45, and Jagdishdas 55, on the Shiv temple premises around 5 a.m.
“The villagers said Murari, a drug addict, had stolen the priests’ ‘chimta’ (tongs) on Sunday and the priests had admonished him in abusive language. He was nabbed from the neighbouring village, 2 km away, in an inebriated state and without clothes. He is not in a state to give a statement. An FIR has been registered against him under Section 302 of the IPC,” said Mr. Singh.
In the FIR, chowkidar Aminchand stated that he saw Murari running away with a sword and he made noise, prompting villagers to pursue him. Later, Harendra Kumar, Superintendent of Police (Rural), told The Hindu that the murder weapon was a lathi [stick]. “The nature of injuries also suggested the same. We have recovered the murder weapon. The chowkidar made the initial statement on the basis of what the villagers had told him,” he said.
Mr. Kumar said locals confirmed that Murari was a drug addict and had a violent streak. “Till afternoon, he was not in his senses to record a statement as he was under the influence of ‘bhang’ [cannabis]. Later, he admitted to the crime and said the priests reprimanded him and berated him.” However, he added, there was no caste angle as the priests also belonged to the same caste group as the accused. Both priests hailed from Aligarh district and turned priests only a decade ago. “Sher Singh suffered from an ailment that limited his movement,” said Mr. Kumar.
Congress general secreatary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted that the killings should not be politicised and the crime should be investigated. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the incident should not be politicised; instead, the reasons for such a violent and criminal mindset should be investigated and action should be taken.
