Priest commits suicide promising to come back to life

Raipur | December 24, 2007 2:05:16 PM IST









Hundreds of people in Chhattisgarh's industrial town of Raigarh have laid siege around the dead body of a 25-year-old Hindu priest who committed suicide with the promise of regaining consciousness within 72 hours of his death, police said Monday.

"Manoj Baghel committed suicide Saturday by consuming poison at a temple in Raigarh. He claimed that he would come back to life within 72 hours," Raigarh District Superintendent of Police J.K. Thorate told IANS.

The young priest was rushed to a district hospital after he consumed poison. He was then referred to a private hospital where he died. Baghels's relatives later brought his body back to the temple in Raigarh, about 200 km northeast of state capital Raipur, and kept it in a locked room.

Although police have registered a case of suicide, they haven't been able to send the body for a post-mortem examination. The crowd surrounding the corpse in the hope of seeing a miracle has prevented them from taking it away.

"Hundreds of people have surrounded the temple. They have put the priest's body in a locked room and are refusing to hand it over police for post-mortem. Many are expecting the priest to come back to life by late Monday," Thorate added.

Police are waiting for the crowd to allow them access to the body once they are convinced that Baghel will not regain consciousness.

(IANS)

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