Manindra Mani Tripathi, priest of a 100-year-old Ram Janaki temple of the Anapur royal family of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh was brutally murdered and his lifeless body was tossed in a field which is around 20 feet west of the holy place. The incident came to light on 2nd October. A cloth was shoved into his mouth and the attackers had bound his hands and ankles with a towel. He took care of the temple diligently for close to 25 years despite being disabled in both legs.
The temple is located within the Indrawas Kumari Memorial (IKM) PG College campus in Anapur under the jurisdiction of Nawabganj police station. The authorities were notified of this horrifying event in the morning which prompted a swift response from them. They arrived to discover the sacred idols scattered throughout the field and the lock on the temple smashed by force.
According to reports, robbery and a property dispute are intertwined in the murder mystery of the 48-year-old victim. The horrific instance and theft of idols from a temple are both being looked at by the police as possible outcomes of a dispute over 20 bighas of land in Bihar. Deputy Police Commissioner (DPC) Ganganagar Abhishek Bharti stayed in the area till late at night to probe the matter. CCTV footage from the vicinity is being scrutinised. The deceased’s phone number has been put on surveillance.
The postmortem report of the priest was delivered late on the night of 2nd October. Princess Anapur State informed that the autopsy result confirmed what circumstantial evidence suggested about the cause of death which was suffocation. He would have strangled and succumbed to death due to his hands, legs and mouth being tied. He passed away at about 2 a.m. on the fateful day. A panel of two doctors conducted the examination amid videography.
Inspector Anoop Singh of Nawabganj noted that in 2021 the body of the sister-in-law of the priest also turned up in a similar manner with her hands and feet bound. Her family members had submitted a case of dowry death and his brother is behind bars. The priest also obtained 20 bighas of land which is presently disputed on his maternal grandfather’s property.
The princess voiced that the priest was a simple gentleman who was loved by everyone. “He came here when he was only 20 years old. Our royal family had put him on salary as a priest of the Ram Janaki temple because he was differently abled and a Pandit. The IKM College management also made arrangements for his meals and accommodation.”
“Who murdered him and why,” she asked and mentioned, “All of us are unable to comprehend this. He held no animosity against anyone here and there was no disagreement regarding the ownership of the land because the temple is owned by IKM College Society. He was like a tree for us.”
The DCP who rushed to the spot on the evening of 2nd October revealed that the motive behind the crime is unclear. “Police are examining the nearby CCTV footage. The occurrence transpired between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Sunday night. The entire CCTV archive from that time is being reviewed. The priest’s mobile was not functional for a week. A cell phone with a keypad and no SIM card was recovered from him. He was using someone else’s device. Both of the numbers have been placed under observation. The instance is going to be disclosed soon.”
Inspector Anoop Singh proclaimed that information about his lifeless body was received at 7 a.m. “The news was followed by immediate inquiry. The manner in which the crime was committed has not been unveiled yet. All samples and proof have currently been gathered from the premises. The issue is being probed by a police team. The school administration and villagers residing in the neighbourhood have also been questioned in connection with the case.”
Shivangi Sharan Singh remarked, “We have two temples. One temple is of Satti Chaura and the other is Ram Janaki temple. On 21st August of this year, there was a burglary attempt at the former place. The thieves had run away after hearing the sounds of the workers in the mansion. Three individuals had come to steal the precious Kaskut idols of Ram Janaki which are highly valuable along with that of Lord Laxman.”
She added, “They succeeded in removing them, however, could not leave with the statues which have now been taken out of their original place and require another consecration. A Bhandara (Hindu religious community feast) would take place and only after that worship is going to commence at the temple.” The perpetrators were reportedly able to take an eight-metal murti and a one-foot idol of Laddu Gopal (Baby Krishna).
Furthermore, they looted every piece of gold and silver from the temple. Notably, a robbery of the idol of lord Krishna on the same level took place in 2014 at a temple inside the Gaurishankar Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Shringverpur, however, no leads were found then.
The royal family is extremely hurt as a result of the gruesome instance. Their reputation and trust have been damaged. The princess has requested DCP Ganganagar to expose the entire conspiracy as soon as possible.
Durga Prasad Dhuria who runs a grocery store right in front of the temple in Anapur market conveyed that the priest had nothing to do with anyone and was preoccupied with God and himself. He never had any conflict with anybody and people treated him with love and respect. Bhupendra Nath Paday, lecturer of Zoology at IKM Degree College of Anapur State commented that the priest used to wake up at 4.30 in the morning and prayed till 7 a.m. He had no concern with anyone. His behaviour was good and had no enmity towards anyone. He neither passed any statements nor criticised anyone.”
On 14th August 2023, a similar incident came to light from Rajasthan’s Nagaur district where the corpse of a Hindu priest named Maharaj Mohandas was discovered. The 72-year-old was found lying on the floor of his ashram with his wrists and legs bound and his mouth muffled which prompted questions about possible foul play. He had spent the previous 14 years working there.
The 93-year-old priest Mahant Siyaram Das of Bhuriya Mahadev Baba Dham temple in Diggi village in Rajasthan’s Tonk was tragically killed on the 29th of the same month. His body was found the next morning when devotees arrived to offer their prayers in the temple. Mahant Gorakhnath Das suffered a similar fate in April of last year when robbers in Bihar’s Saran district stole thirteen idols of Hindu deities as well as the ornaments that adorned them.