In a tragic incident in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the body of a Hindu priest was found lying in a pool of blood inside a temple. According to reports, an octogenarian priest of a temple located in BKT police station area of Lucknow rural was found dead on Wednesday. The priest has injury marks on his head, as per the police.
No theft at the temple
Superintendent of Police, Lucknow Rural, Hirdesh Kumar said that the blood-soaked body of the priest was found lying in his hut inside the temple premises. The temple is located in Shivpuri village on the outskirts of Lucknow. The priest has been identified as Fakire Das. No signs of theft have been found at the scene as told by the police. “There are no signs of theft and his belongings as well as cash kept in the donation box of the temple have not been stolen”, said SP Kumar. The priest was reportedly from Sultanpur. An investigation has been initiated in the case.
Police investigating old enmity or dispute angle
Circle Officer (CO) of Bakshi Ka Talab police station, Hiridesh Katheria reportedly said that the priest had been staying alone in the temple for last few years. He said that preliminary investigation in the case has suggested that personal enmity could be a reason behind that death of the priest. The police have approached his family to find out if there was any old dispute or motive behind his killing. The body has been sent for post-mortem after registering an FIR for murder against unidentified persons.
Frequent attacks on Hindu priests
Killings of Hindu priests have become frequent these days. Last year in October, a Hindu priest named Babulal Vaishnav was set ablaze in the Bokna village, Sapotra division of Karauli district of Rajasthan by some people who wanted to encroach temple land. The same year in September, three priests of Arkeshwara temple in Mandya, Karnataka were brutally killed by unknown miscreants. In July last year, a temple priest named Kanti Prasad was brutally murdered by a man named Anas Qureshi in Meerut’s Abdullapur.
