Lucknow: Days after the brutal lynching of two sadhus in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, two saints were found murdered inside a temple in Pagona village of Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Tuesday. The incident came to light after village locals discovered their blood-soaked bodies and informed the police. A man, who was accused of theft by the priests, has been arrested.
Speaking to media, SSP Bulandshahr Santosh Kumar said, “The incident took place in Pagona village which falls under the jurisdiction of Anoopshehar police station. The two priests Jagdish and Sher Singh, who used to live in the temple had accused one of the locals, Murari alias Raju, of stealing the ‘chimta’ (tong) and had scolded him for the same a few days ago.”
Kumar added that Murari arrived at the temple with a sword on Tuesday and murdered the two saints. “The accused is an intoxicated state and we are trying to extract more information about the incident,” he added.
District Magistrate Bulandshahr, Ravindra Kumar said, that the accused has been arrested and that the village locals had helped authorities nab the person.
“The accused has claimed it was the will of God. He has denied using any sword and claimed that he killed the priests using a stick that was lying at the temple,” the district magistrate said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to reach the site of crime and inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray dialed CM Yogi later in the day and sought punishment for the guilty. "We shouldn't politicise during times of such gruesome crimes. We must punish the guilty," he said.
Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi attacked the state government over the law and order situation and demanded an impartial inquiry into the matter. Congress Working Committee member and former Union Minister Jitin Prasada demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Prasada in a press statement said, "It's time that the chief minister should step down as law and order situation is worsening day by day." The Brahmin leader of UP has been accusing the government of targeted killing of Brahmins in the state and said that the government is trying to cover up such cases.
“In the first 15 days of April more than 100 people were murdered in Uttar Pradesh. Three days back, five members of Pachouri family were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Etah district of UP, nobody knows what happened with them. Today, two priests were brutally killed in UP’s Bulandshahr. Such heinous crimes should be thoroughly investigated and nobody should politicise the matter,” she said. Priyanka added that the government should ensure an impartial investigation into the case.
Samajwadi Party chief and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also condemned the killings and demanded a thorough probe.
“The murder of two sadhus in Bulandshahar is sad and highly condemnable. Instead of politicising the issue, a thorough investigation must be done to ascertain the criminal mentality and violent behaviour. Legal and timely action should be taken based on this investigation.”
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