Police detained a local man for questioning following allegations that he wanted the two men to leave the temple and sought exclusive control over the land around the shrine, officials said on Thursday. Two ascetics were allegedly murdered and their bodies set on fire inside a Shiva temple in Shahjahanpur district.
They found the body of one ascetic still burning, while the other had been reduced to a skeleton. Temple caretaker Shiv Kumar Singh submitted a complaint in connection with the incident. “When Khudaganj police reached the spot, the bodies were found severely burnt. Police and forensic teams are collecting physical evidence from the scene. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, while Sumeet has been taken into custody and is being questioned.
The incident took place at a Shiva temple in Sutha village under Khudaganj police station, around 70 km from the district headquarters. Villagers noticed smoke rising from the temple at around 7 am on Thursday and rushed to the spot.
Superintendent of police (rural) Diksha Bhavre said police received information through the police response vehicle about two ascetics being burnt at the temple. The suspect, Sumeet, has been detained and is being questioned,” she said. Prima facie, the police suspect that the incident occurred late on Wednesday night over the dispute.
