Unidentified people stole an idol of Lord Krishna from a monastery-cum-temple in Bihar’s Saran district after killing its priest on Monday night, triggering a protest by locals who blocked the roads in the area.
While the local people claimed that it was an ‘ashtadhatu’ (eight metals, including gold and silver) statue, the police wasserted that it was made of brass.
The incident occurred at Majhanpura village under Manjhi police station in the district. Devotees on Tuesday morning found the priest, identified as Durgashankar Das, lying dead and the Krishna idol was missing. The villagers then informed the police.
Das was a resident of Daya Chhapra village in Balia district of Uttar Pradesh, and his kin have been informed about his death.
The police reached the temple with an FSL (forensic science lab) team and sniffer dogs and began their investigations. An FIR has been registered.
“Das was perhaps strangulated or smothered to death. His face was covered with a gamchha (thin towel). We have sent his body for post-mortem. Nobody has been arrested so far, but we are investigating the case,” Manjhi SHO Amit Ram told The Telegraph.
“The 10-inch idol that has been stolen was made of brass. The villagers are mistakenly claiming that it was of ‘ashtadhatu’. The temple did have such idols, but they were stolen around 13 years ago,” Ram added.
People in the area blocked the roads and staged a demonstration to demand the arrest of the miscreants, recovery of the idol and better law and order.
