80 Year old Temple Priest and 2 Hindu Activists killed by Jihadi Mafia

Priest, two others killed in Arni temple
TNN

 
NAGPUR: The killing of an 80-year-old priest of ancient Mahadeo temple along with two activists of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad sparked tension at Arni in Yavatmal district on Friday.

VHP has called for Yavatmal district bandh on Saturday and supported the protesting townsmen`s decision to perform the last rites of the deceased only after the culprits are arrested. A group of men hanging around a nearby dargah who were into illegal sand business is suspected to be behind the attack in which three persons were killed and one was seriously injured.

Priest Ramoji Mirase, Bajrang Dal activist Rajesh Ingole (28) and VHP worker Motiram Shinde (55) were found dead in a pool of blood on the temple premises by devotees who went there around 8am.

Another Bajrang Dal activist Anil Umre (35) was seriously injured and rushed to government medical college and hospital for treatment here. VHP Vidarbha chief Hemant Jambhekar said that the miscreants had on earlier occasions threatened the priest with dire consequences. On Thursday evening they arrived in four tractors to ferry sand from the banks of Arunavati river where the temple is located. Hindu activists and the priest objected to it and summoned the police. The temple attack is seen as retaliation to it by the sand mafia.

The VHP has called for Yavatmal district bandh on Saturday to protest against police inaction leading to the murder, sources said. Local Shiv Sena leader and ex-MLA Balasaheb Munginwar joined the protests and demanded a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of the victims and a CID probe into the attack. BJP, Sena and MNS have supported the Saturday bandh.

Jambhekar said police complaints were made following threats received by the old priest, but no action was taken. On Thursday, the police arrived on the scene and caught over 20 men from a minority community ferrying sand but let them go away.

The VHP has dismissed the police version that miscreants had attacked the temple to steal a cash box, saying they were trying to cover up inaction.

Read more: Priest, two others killed in Arni temple – Nagpur – City – The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6489602.cms?prtpage=1#ixzz0yayu6ctF

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