On Saturday, a temple priest, identified as Ramdas, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Galshaheed police station area in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh.
As per reports, tension escalated in the area after his body was discovered from a nearby Valmiki temple. On being informed about the incident, the cops rushed to the spot, conducted the panchnama and sent the body for post-mortem. On receiving the news of his death, the relatives of the deceased priest too visited the house of the priest. They reiterated that he died mysteriously and that his phone was switched off since the previous night.
Relative Nirmal Gupta informed, “Two people had come to inform me that the body of priest Ramdas is lying in the Valmiki temple.” While he believed that the duo belonged to the said temple, Gupta was unable to recollect their names. “His phone was switched off and it has not been found yet. The police are, however, claiming that Ramdas had no mobile phone with him. That’s why I find his death unnatural,” he reiterated.
No marks or bruises on body, concedes Moradabad police
Meanwhile, the local police have conceded that preliminary investigation in the case has revealed that there were no marks or bruises on the body of the deceased.
थाना गलशहीद क्षेत्रान्तर्गत जनपद मुरादाबाद में संत रामदास जी की मृत्यु के सम्बंध में वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक @moradabadpolice की बाइट। @Uppolice @dgpup @adgzonebareilly @digmoradabad @AmitKAnandIPS pic.twitter.com/zA2gvUnGAS
— MORADABAD POLICE (@moradabadpolice) October 17, 2020
Hindu groups stage protest demanding fair investigation
The temple priest was also the Editor of Ganga Pradushan Mukti Morcha. Following his unnatural death, the Hindu organisations in the area have expressed anger over his death. While demanding a fair investigation into the case, the Hindu activists blocked the road at the Moradabad-Haridwar highway. They also took over the body of the deceased priest after the post-mortem was concluded. Later, they were dispersed by the police after being assured of appropriate action.
Mobile phones missing, case points to murder, alleges Rashtriya Yogi Sena
President of Rashtriya Yogi Sena, Aakash Agarwal, has informed that Ramdas was a vocal critic of mining in the area and was active on social media. According to him, the temple priest had 3 mobiles but they have been missing since his death. At the same time, his purse has also been missing and his profile picture (DP) has been removed. He informed that Ramdas had complained against the mining mafia and had conceded that he was received threats to life. Agarwal had also expressed anger over police’s refusal to share the post-mortem report with them. He alleged that the mysterious circumstances in the death of Ramdas point towards a potential murder angle.
