Doon man gets life term for 2023 murder of devotee at Mathura ashram

Agra: A court in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura has sentenced a 35-year-old man from Sahiya village in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand to life imprisonment for murdering a devotee at Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram in 2023.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict. As per the prosecution, Mahesh Chand Sharma, who had been serving at the ashram for several years, lodged a complaint at Govind Nagar police station. He stated that Atul Gaud, a resident of Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district, had been staying at the ashram since March 13, 2023. On March 29, 2023, around 2 pm, devotees were reciting the Ramcharitmanas when Gaud was lying down and offering obeisance near the idol.

"A person named Pyarelal suddenly entered the Yagshala, picked up a ladle (palta) lying there, and struck Atul Gaud twice on the head," the complaint stated.

Gaud sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The accused was caught by the ashram staff while trying to flee and was handed over to the police. A case was registered against him under IPC section 302 (murder). District govt counsel Shivram Singh said sessions judge Vikas Kumar found Pyarelal guilty and awarded him life imprisonment.