Gopalganj (Bihar): A temple caretaker, who was missing for five days was found "murdered" in the Gopalganj district of Bihar on Saturday, police said on Sunday. His body was recovered from a pit in the Jagarnatha village of Manjhagarh police station area, they added.
However, angry locals blocked the road in protest against the murder and threw stones at the police. It is understood that the locals also threw stones at the police and to control the situation, police fired on the protesters. Later, the situation was controlled.
Pranjal, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), said that the police reached the spot where the body was found and a probe is underway. He also claimed that the situation was now under control.
The deceased's brother Ashok Sah claimed that the care-taker of the temple had gone missing from the temple five days ago. "A written application was given in the local police station. His body was found in a pit in the field. His eyes were gouged out and his tongue was cut off. There was injury on his private parts," Ashok Sah claimed.
Ashok Sah is a local leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Ashok Sah earlier claimed that the accused were trying to capture the temple land.
Gopalganj Superintendent of Police Swarn Prabhat said, "We must await the post-mortem report before addressing these queries." On the possible motive behind the murder, Prabhat said the temple was embroiled in a land dispute. The case is being probed from all angles and the culprits will be brought to book at the earliest, he added.
The Bihar Police have detained three persons in connection with the case and they are being interrogated. Meanwhile, the opposition BJP lashed out at the Nitish Kumar government, alleging that the murder was proof of "jungle raj" in Bihar. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, a former Bihar BJP president, alleged in a statement, "Criminals are roaming around without fear because of the patronage they receive from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav".
The BJP stands with the bereaved family members and will fight to ensure that justice is done, it said. The people of Bihar will punish the government in the next elections, Rai said in the statement. (With PTI inputs)
Read more:
