Priest killed for objecting to drinking in temple premises; 2 held

Agra: A temple priest was allegedly beaten to death after he objected to two men consuming alcohol inside the premises of a Ravidas temple in Begrajpur village of Muzaffarnagar district.

Natthan Singh, 45, succumbed to injuries during treatment on Thursday. Following a complaint lodged by his nephew, Sagar Singh, police arrested the two accused, Aniket and Arun, on Friday night after an encounter in which both sustained gunshot injuries to their legs.Khatauli Circle Officer Rupali Rao said the accused, both in their late 20s, were trying to flee the area on a motorcycle when a police team, acting on a tip-off, set up a checking operation near the Begrajpur underpass. Police said the suspects tried to evade arrest and allegedly opened fire when signalled to stop. The police retaliated, injuring both men before taking them into custody. The accused allegedly confessed during interrogation.Rao said the case was solved within 24 hours of registration of the murder case and further legal action is being taken based on evidence collected during the investigation.