Meerut: Two priests, aged 70 and 60, were killed and their bodies set on fire inside a Shiva temple in Shahjahanpur’s Sutha village, with police detaining a 35-year-old local man who had been released from jail on bail around a month ago.
Police said preliminary investigation indicated a possible dispute over control of the shrine.
Temple patron Shiv Kumar Singh submitted a written complaint to police naming Sumit , 35, a local resident. Villagers also claimed that Sumit, who was released from jail around a month ago, had earlier set a villager’s car on fire.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Saurabh Dixit said Sumit had recently secured bail and, after his release, had begun spending time with the two priests at the shrine. Dixit said villagers told investigators that Sumit had earlier asked the two priests to leave the temple and allegedly said he would stay there and exercise sole control over it. “Prima facie, the incident appears to have been committed last night over this,” he said, adding that an FIR has been filed against Sumit under BNS section 103 (murder). Police said an FIR was being registered against Sumit and he was being questioned. “Further action will be taken on the basis of facts and evidence that come to light,” Dixit said. Police further said their investigation indicated that Sumit had been undergoing psychiatric treatment.
Police, senior officers and a forensic team inspected the temple and collected physical evidence. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination to establish the cause and time of death. Bihari Das’s nephew, Pradeep Singh, alleged that Sumit had attacked the priests several times in the past. Police did not immediately specify the case in which he had been jailed or the circumstances of his release on bail. They did not provide further details about the treatment or link it to the killings.