Tension grips Bihar after priest shot dead, genitals chopped off
Tensions remain high in Bihar after a priest was found shot dead with his eyes gouged out in the state's Gopalganj district on Saturday. It is also learned that the genitals of the priest were chopped off. The victim, identified as Manoj Kumar, had been missing for the past six days. He was a priest at a Lord Shiva temple in Danapur village.
Deceased priest went missing almost a week ago
According to reports, the deceased went missing after he left for the temple from his house last week. Although a search operation was initiated, the police were unable to locate him. They discovered the victim's body later on Saturday in the bushes near Manjha Milk Factory, not far from his home. It is worth noting that the victim's brother, Ashok Kumar Shah, is a former divisional president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Priest's death triggers unrest
Furious over the killing of the priest, locals threw stones at the cops and set a police vehicle on fire parked on a highway on Sunday. "They created massive jams on the roads and pelted stones on the police personnel. Some of the rowdy elements have been detained by the police," Pranjal Kumar, Senior Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Gopalganj, said. During the clash, two police officers also received minor injuries.
Adequate police force called in for assistance: Top cop
Confirming that the situation in the village was currently under control, Pranjal added that an adequate police force had been called in for assistance. "The highway has been cleared now. People had thrown stones at the police officials. In this case, an FIR will be registered, and further action will be taken," noted the senior cop.
Visuals from Bihar's Gopalganj district
Priest's family demands investigation into murder
Suresh Shah, another brother of the priest, has claimed that his family assumed that he had gone somewhere and would return soon. "Some people from the district administration came and assured us that an investigation would be done soon. We don't know how or why the murder took place," he said. Notably, Shah was at the temple when his brother went missing.
