Villagers spot smoke from temple; police detain local man for questioning
Amit Sharma /Shahjahanpur: Two sadhus were allegedly murdered and their bodies burnt inside a Shiva temple in Shahjahanpur district, triggering panic in the Sutha village of Khudaganj on Thursday morning.
Villagers reached the temple around 7 am after noticing smoke rising from the premises. One body was still burning, while the other had been reduced to a skeleton. The bodies of Baba Gopal Das (70) and Baba Bihari Das (60) were found around 10 metres apart.
Gopal Das, a resident of Azizganj locality, had been living at the temple for nearly two decades and was known as a storyteller. Bihari Das, a native of Sutha village, had been serving at the temple for around 10 years. He had reportedly become Gopal Das’s disciple about a month ago.
A temple cleaner, Dragpal, told police that he had last met the two sadhus around 3 pm on Wednesday. When he reached the temple on Thursday morning, he found their bodies burning.
Police have detained Sumit, 35, a local resident, for questioning. Relatives and villagers have alleged that he had earlier attacked the sadhus. Police said he had been released from jail about a month ago and was also undergoing treatment for a mental health condition.
SP Saurabh Dixit visited the spot along with police personnel and spoke to villagers and the victims’ families. A forensic team examined the temple premises and collected evidence. The exact motive behind the killings and circumstances leading to the burning of the bodies are being investigated.
