Raipur: Chhattisgarh’s Baghel government which is continuously lashed by opposition parties for escalating crime graph, has witnessed another horrific crime in Balodabazar district, where a priest was arrested for burning his wife alive in the temple premises. The incident occurred in Bhatapara police station limits.
As per information received, Police arrested Ramnarayan Pandey (35),the priest of Sai Temple, Dhurabhata village, Balodabazar for killing his wife alive in temple premises in the presence of his children and in-laws.
The accused used to reside in the temple premises with his wife Mandakni Pandey (25), two children, and his wife’s brother and sister for a longer period, said the locals.
However, on Wednesday night in Sai Temple the situation was all of sudden changed, when nearby villagers rushed into the temple premises with police seeing the flames and lots of smoke coming, but upto that time it was too late, the lady was more than half-burnt, said a local reporter.
According to the local police, the accused used to doubt about the loyalty of his wife and has suspicion that she was indulged in extramarital relation on Wednesday, infighting occurred between husband and wife after which the accused brutally beaten the victim lady in the day, in the evening when he returned, he again attacked her with sharp-edged weapon till, she fainted. After-then the accused set the lady on fire with a gas stove, said Bhatapara police.
At the time, when the horrific incident occurred the accused children and in-laws were present in the temple premises, but they kept their mouths shut over the accused threats, Thana In-charge Roushan Singh Rajput told FPJ over phone. Police received the message around 1 o’clock in the night.
After reaching the spot police helped douse the flames but by that time the victim lady was already dead. We have arrested the accused from the temple premises, the police officer said.
However, after the incident, and release of NCRB data, the police administration is continuously under attack from the social activists and opposition.
NCRB data this time painted a grim picture about the state law and order situation and the increasing crime against women. NCRB data said, in year 2020 Chhattisgarh witnessed 972 murders, 720 attempts to murder cases, 1187 cases of attack on women, 171 sexual harassment cases, 2008 kidnapping cases.
“Rahul ji whole barat of Congress reached to you to invite to show you about the development of the state that how Bhupesh Baghel has converted Chhattisgarh into jungle Raj, the cases of murder, dacoity, and rape with daughters have increased”, Ex-Chief Minister Raman Singh tweeted over increasing crime in state.
Social activist Durga Jha said, it is heartbreaking at the temple premises that a woman is not safe. I have no words to say that the husband who took oath to protect her, murder her alive.
