In a shocking incident, a priest was allegedly strangled by two persons on the premises of Ayodhya's famous Hanumangarhi Temple on Wednesday evening, October 18. According to the police, the deceased was identified as Ram Sahare Das, a 45-year-old Naga sadhu who was found dead with a deep mark on his neck. They further said that one person, living in the nearby ashram, has been detained, while another is still at large.
Police in search of another suspect
According to the information, the Police are in search of a person named Rishabh Shukla, a resident of Shahjahanpur. Shukla also lived in the ashram, but he has been missing since the incident, the police said. The Police have formed four teams to nab Shukla. After this incident, several questions have started being raised regarding the safety of people in Ayodhya. The incident has sent a shockwave as the city of Lord Rama remains under 24-hour CCTV camera surveillance and a tight security cordon.
Meanwhile, Mahant (chief priest) of Hanumangarhi Temple Raju Das said the deceased priest was living in Hanumangarhi since 1991, his childhood days. "He was a mahant of an ashram in Hanumangarhi, where he used to impart (spiritual) education to about ten students," Das told the media. He also demanded a fair and impartial probe into the incident.
What the police said?
Senior Superintendent of Police Rajkaran Nayyar said that the police had received information about the murder of Naga Sadhu at 7 am on October 18. "The priest's body was found in his own room. As soon as the information was received, the forensic team along with senior police officers was sent to the spot for inspection," he added. The SSP further said that the deceased's friends also lived in the temple and they are being interrogated.
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