Tribune News Service

Lucknow, April 28

A reportedly inebriated person killed two sadhus by raining lathis on them in a temple late Monday night in village Pagauna under police station Anoopshahr in Bulandshahr.

“The villagers have caught hold of the culprit, Murari, who is now under arrest and is being interrogated. He is still in an intoxicated state. He described the killing as ‘bhagwan ki iccha (the will of God)’,” said Bulandshahr District Magistrate Ravinder Kumar.

Bulandshahr SSP Santosh Kumar Singh said that the accused had admitted that he had consumed bhang (marijuana) and gone to the temple where he rained the babas with lathis which were kept in a corner.

The incident, occurring just days after the Palghar incident in which a huge crowd lynched three men including two sadhus in Maharashtra, has caused a commotion in the state.

Taking cognisance of the murders, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the senior officers to visit the village and hold a speedy probe and ensure strict punishment for the accused.