Two ascetics found dead, bodies set on fire inside UP temple

LUCKNOW: Two ascetics were allegedly murdered and their bodies set on fire inside a Shiva temple at Sutha village under Khudaganj police station area in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Thursday.

Police detained a man identified as Sumit for questioning. Police sources said he allegedly wanted to drive Gopal Das, 70, and Bihari Das, 60, away to take control of land around the temple.

According to police sources, residents found one ascetic’s body burning and the other reduced to a skeleton after noticing smoke rising from the temple around 7 am. The bodies were found around 10 metres apart.

Villagers said Gopal Das, a resident of Azizganj locality, was a storyteller who had been living at the temple for around 20 years. Bihari Das was from Sutha village and had earlier lived at the Thakur Ji temple there. He became Gopal Das’s disciple a month ago and later began living with him at the Shiva temple.

Gopal Das’s family said he had left home and started looking after the temple after his wife’s death. “He had come home about a week ago and said he wanted to go to Gaya in Bihar. He left for Gaya five days ago but returned after sustaining an injury on the way,” said his brother Ramdulare.

Pradeep Singh, nephew of Bihari Das, alleged that local man Sumit was responsible for the murders and claimed that he had attacked the two ascetics earlier as well.

Residents said Sumit, who had a criminal background and had recently set a car afire, was released from jail about a month ago and wanted the ascetics to leave the temple so that he could take control of the land.

Villagers claimed the two ascetics had opposed his attempts and that Sumit’s family secured his bail after assuring that he would not repeat such acts.

Dragpal, who cleaned the temple, said he reached the temple around 7 am and found the bodies burning. He said he had not met the ascetics at night and had last seen them around 3 pm on Wednesday before returning home.

Police Superintendent Diksha Bhavre said Sumit had been detained and was being questioned.