Jaipur (Rajasthan):Days after a temple priest in Rajasthan's Karauli died after allegedly being burned alive over a land dispute, the family of the main accused, Kailash Meena, who was arrested by the police has been banned by the village panchayat.
Village bans suspect's family after Rajasthan priest murder However, a new mode has appeared in the case as a CCTV footage has gone viral on social media in which a priest can be seen carrying a bottle filled with petrol in his hand.
ETV Bharat, however, does not confirm the authenticity of the video.
The police administration also refused to comment about the CCTV footage.
The family of the accused, however, claimed that it was the priest who set himself ablaze with fuel and a lighter.
"The priest himself brought petrol in the bottle and poured it on himself, while my father tried to save him. My father's hands were also burnt while saving him", daughter of the accused said.
She further added that the panchayat has boycotted them and they are not allowed to fill water from the village well. The shopkeepers also have boycotted them. They don't have anything to eat as no shop in the village is ready to give them food.
Meanwhile, CID SP, Vikas Kumar, who is investigating the case said that the matter is being investigated and all the videos and pictures, in this case, will be checked.
On October 7, a 55-year-old priest, Babu Lal Vaishnav, of a temple in Bukna village of Rajasthan's Karauli district was allegedly set on fire by five persons over a land issue, who wanted to encroach on the temple land.
Also read:Protest against priest's killing in Rajasthan
He, later on, died of burns at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital on October 8.
Reportedly, Vaishnav wanted to build a house for himself on a plot close to this land. In order to start construction, he had the land levelled by an earth-mover.
A group of people from the dominant Meena community objected to this and took the matter to the village council. The village elders ruled in favour of the priest, reports said.
On the basis of Babu Lal Vaishnav’s statement to the police before his death, main accused Kailash Meena was arrested by the police.
The police initially had registered a case of attempt to murder against which was later was converted to that of murder after the priest’s death and a team led by an Additional Superintendent of Police was conducting investigation and searching for other accused.
Meanwhile, the incident sparked protests by the villagers and family members of the deceased who refused to perform the last rites till the state government fulfilled their demands - compensation of Rs 50 lakh, a government job for one of the family members and early arrest of the accused.
