UP: Gonda shooting was ‘staged’, injured priest booked; 7 held

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Gonda police have arrested seven persons after it was revealed that priest Samrat Das had orchestrated an attack on himself on October 10 as he wanted to frame one Amar Singh and grab his 120 bigha land, police said on Sunday. The attack had attracted flak from the opposition on the Yogi Adityanath government.

The Gonda police arrested Munna Singh, Vipin, Neeraj Singh, Sonu Singh, Mahant Sitaram, Shiv Shankar Singh, and Vinay Kumar on Saturday from Haridwar Singh Bagh in Tiremanorama village under Ithiyathok police station jurisdiction.

Gonda SP Shailesh Pandey said that Samrat Das would be arrested once he is discharged from hospital for the treatment of a gunshot injury on his shoulder.

Police have seized countrymade pistols from Sonu Singh, Mahant Sitaram, and Munna Singh.

Munna had allegedly shot at the priest, after which the latter claimed that Amar Singh, along with Mukesh Singh, Bhayharan Singh and Daroga Singh, had attacked him while he was asleep in the temple on October 10-11 night.

The Gonda SP said that there was a dispute between the two over land.

Accused Vinay Kumar was even planning to contest an upcoming panchayat election against Amar Singh.

"The two thus hatched a conspiracy to frame Amar Singh," the police officer said.

Police had lodged an FIR on the basis of the priest's statement and arrested Daroga and Bhayharan the same day. Now, they would be released.