Two clerics living at the Patreshwar Mahadev temple in Haridwar in Patre district were killed, and their bodies were found buried in a hole in a nearby forest, police said on Tuesday.
The two were identified as Siwa Giri and Uttam Giri by police after temple staff informed them that they were missing since Monday.
A search operation led by Rabindra Singh, Battery police station in-charge, was launched late Monday night.
“Police teams spotted a section of land that appeared to have been dug up in a nearby forest area, following which the bodies of the two monks were recovered,” said Shekhar Chandra Soyal, Rural Police Inspector.
The police said that a forensic team was called to the scene to collect samples.
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“It has also come to light that three monks had recently arrived and stayed at the temple but went missing around the same time on Monday morning. All angles are being investigated. The post-mortem report is awaited. We will soon arrest the accused and reveal the details of the case,” Sial said.
The temple staff, saints and devotees demanded that those responsible be arrested within a specified period of time.
On Tuesday, police registered a case of murder against three unidentified accused at Battery police station. SSP Haridwar Navneet Singh Bhullar formed two police teams to identify and arrest people allegedly involved in the killings.
The police officers also asked the temple staff and temple committee members to check if any cash, idols, donations or other valuables were missing from the temple premises.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
