Five people in Rajasthan's Karauli district set a 50-year-old priest on fire after a heated temple land dispute. The temple priest resisted the land mafias attempt to encroach upon his land.
After an inflamed argument, the five accused allegedly poured petrol on Babu Lal Vaishnav and set him on fire in Bukna village on Wednesday. He was referred to the SMS hospital in Jaipur in a critical condition. Vaishnav succumbed to injuries on the night of 8 october and died in the hospital.
“Two accused have been rounded up and are being interrogated,” SP, Karauli, Mridul Kachhawa, said.
Police said the accused wanted to encroach upon the land of the temple.
“A case of attempt to murder was registered yesterday and now it will be converted into a murder case after the death of the priest,” the SP said.
PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra said the police have already caught the main accused.
Vaishnav's family members have demanded action against the SHO, investigation by a deputy rank official, compensation and government job to a family member.
Targeting the state government over the incident, the opposition BJP charged that the law and order situation has worsened in the state under Congress rule.
"There is no fear of law among criminals who are roaming freely under Congress rule. People are living under fear while criminals have no fear. This is the situation when the chief minister himself is holding the home portfolio,” BJP state president Satish Poonia told reporters.
Meanwhile, Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje took to twitter about the incident and condemned the heinous crime. She said in a Hindi tweet that no criticism can measure the depth of the heinous crime in which a priest was set ablaze.
She also expressed her concern about the rising crime rate in the state. 'No one is safe, whether it's Dalits, women, traders, kids, senior citizens.' She further said that the Congress government is required to wake up from its slumber and grant justice to the families with strict punishment to the accused.
(With PTI Inputs)
