Within 24 hours of the killing of a priest at a Hanuman temple in Bhadohi, another priest was shot dead in Mirzapur over an alleged dispute involving money collected through donations at the Lord Shiva Temple.

The victim’s family accused the police of negligence, which they claim led to the murder. Following the family’s outcry, senior officers suspended nine police officers, including the local sub-inspector (SI), and initiated a departmental inquiry.

The incident occurred in Gursandi village, located in the Dehat Kotwali area of Mirzapur district. According to reports, Shravan (35), a priest at the Lord Shiva Temple, was violently attacked outside the temple early Tuesday morning. The assailants then shot him in front of his mother.

Kripa Shankar, the victim’s father and a priest at a nearby Hanuman Temple, said the temple’s donation box had been stolen two days earlier.

Shravan had filed a complaint with the local Gursandi police station, accusing Trinayan Dubey, a resident of the same village, of being involved in the theft. Despite their concerns about safety and their demands for police action, no steps were taken by the authorities. On Tuesday morning, the accused Trinayan confronted Shravan and fatally shot him in the head.

Upon receiving the report, Superintendent of Police Abhinandan arrived at the scene with a forensic team and additional police forces. He assured the family that action would be taken. So far, four suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime, and investigations are ongoing.

On Monday, a 75-year-old priest named Sitaram was found dead in his room at the Hanuman Temple in Bhadohi on Monday morning.

Devotees discovered his body when they arrived at the temple. According to Additional Superintendent of Police Tejvir Singh, Sitaram appeared to have been hacked to death. The priest had previously reported the theft of bells and donation boxes from the temple. Forensic teams have visited the scene, and efforts are underway to apprehend the culprits.