Priest found murdered on temple premises, had complained to police about repeated thefts

Bhadohi: A 75-year-old priest of an ancient Hanuman temple located in Suriyawa area here was found murdered on Monday in his room with his throat slit, police said.

Many bells and donation boxes were found missing from the temple, they said.

Four policemen including the Station House Officer (SHO) have been suspended with immediate effect and a departmental inquiry has been started against them for allegedly not acting on repeated complaints from the priest about thefts and unruly elements gathering on the temple premises.

According to the police, the incident occurred in the Hanuman temple built near Bawan Bigha pond, where the priest, Sitaram, lived in a room on the temple premises.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Tej Veer Singh said that on Monday morning, when some people went to the temple to worship, they did not find the priest. When they went to his room, they found him dead.

The officer said that Sitaram came here from Bihar about 30 years ago and the local people entrusted him with the responsibility of looking after the temple and performing puja. Since then he had been living on the temple premises.

According to the local people, the priest had complained several times about the gathering of some unruly elements near the temple and the theft of bells and donation boxes.

Singh said that senior officials along with the forensic team inspected the crime scene closely and the body has been sent for post-mortem examination.

He said that the blood had dried up after the priest’s throat was slit, so it is suspected that he was murdered several hours ago.

He also said that a team has been assigned the task of investigating the case.

Meanwhile, Bhadohi’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Meenakshi Katyayan said late on Monday evening that the priest had complained about repeated thefts in the temple and the gathering of anti-social elements in the temple premises.

Gross negligence of SHO of Suriyawa police station Brijesh Singh, sub-inspector Ram Dhani Yadav and constables Manoj Singh and Ashok Yadav has come to light in the matter, she said, adding all four were suspended late on Monday evening.

Katyayan also said that five teams have been formed to solve the case.