The body of a sadhu, Mahant Kanhaiya Das of the Hanuman Garhi temple was found at Gaushala of Charanpaduka temple on Sunday. He had been apparently bludgeoned to death in his sleep by unidentified assailants.

The Mahant was also the head of Gulchaman Baag of Basantia Patti. Senior police officials rushed to the spot on hearing the news to begin an investigation. News of the murder of Mahant Kanhaiya Das spread like wildfire in the temple town.

Angry over the killing, several Naga sadhus and their followers assembled at the Charanpaduka temple to lodge their protest against the murder. Extra police force was deployed to maintain peace and law and order.

As is often the case when a Hindu sadhu or temple priest is murdered, police is claiming ‘personal enmity’ as the motive behind the murder. “In addition to the personal enmity, the police is also working on all possible angles behind the murder. We will arrest the accused shortly,” said Superintendent of Police V.P. Singh.

Mahant Kanhaiya Das was a leading voice for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya at the disputed Babri site. As head of the Ayodhya Sant Samiti, when Supreme Court made yet another attempt for mediation in early 2019, he had said that ‘extremist Muslims will never agree to a mediated settlement’.

(With IANS inputs)

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