A 50-year-old temple priest died in a Jaipur hospital Thursday night from burns he received after he was set on fire in Karauli district over a land dispute on Wednesday, police said.
Babulal Vaishnav died during burn treatment at SMS Hospital in Jaipur. “We registered a case for attempted murder against five people from the town; now the charge will become murder, ”said Karauli Police Superintendent Mridul Kachawa. The priest gave a statement to the police before the death, he added.
On Wednesday, the defendant Kailash Meena and other members of his family allegedly set fire to the priest’s hut in the village of Bukna, below the Sapotra police station, as they had been trying to prevent the invasion of temple lands. The wounded priest was taken to the district hospital from where the doctors sent him to Jaipur.
Vaishnav was admitted to SMS Hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries on Thursday night.
Also look at the Rajasthan temple priest burned alive over land dispute; family has protests
Police said that three acres of land is owned by the temple, but Meena wanted to invade part of it. A few days ago, the priest started building a house for himself on the land Meena was looking at. On Wednesday, the defendant poured gasoline on the cabin and set it on fire. The priest was caught in the fire before being rescued.
Also read: Mumbai crime branch arrests fake IPS officer after 1200 km manhunt
The SP said that the main defendant Kailash Meena had been arrested and that efforts were underway to arrest others. He added that the priest had never informed the police about a land dispute with Meena.
Vaishnav’s family brought the body to the village for cremation on Friday.
Video of the incident has gone viral on social media. In his death testimony, the priest named six people for setting him on fire, police said.
Former Prime Minister Vasundhara Raje attacked the state government over the incident on Twitter. Some other BJP leaders claimed that the law and order situation in the state was deteriorating under Ashok Gehlot.
.
