Investigators in Haryana have cracked the murder of a 65-year-old temple priest near the Sector-30 bypass road canal in Faridabad, arresting two key suspects involved in the fatal assault. The DLF crime branch took the accused into custody after evidence connected them to the gruesome crime. Inquiries revealed that the altercation erupted when the elderly priest strongly objected to the group consuming drugs right beside the temple premises, prompting the accused to bludgeon him with a heavy stone slab.
Fatal Encounter at an Isolated Canal-Side Shrine
Addressing media personnel regarding the breakthrough, Assistant Commissioner of Police Crime Aman Yadav stated that the brutal incident occurred on the intervening night of August 30 and August 31. The victim, identified as 65-year-old priest Omprakash, was stationed at a temple situated in a secluded stretch along the canal by the Sector-30 bypass road, where attackers struck him on the head with fatal force.
Following the discovery of the crime, the deceased priest's cousin, Ashok Kumar, a resident of Ahirwara in Old Faridabad, lodged a formal complaint. Acting promptly on the complaint, officials registered a first information report under murder charges at the Sector-31 police station. Considering the heinous nature of the homicide, the investigation was entrusted to the specialised DLF crime branch.
Objection to Substance Abuse Triggered Violent Attack
During custodial interrogation, details of the fatal clash surfaced. Police officials confirmed that the two arrested men are close friends who reside in the exact same neighborhood and struggle with severe substance addiction. On the night of August 30, both individuals, accompanied by two other associates, had assembled near the canal temple cut along the Sector-30 bypass road to consume drugs in the dark.
While they were engaged in the act, priest Omprakash arrived at the spot and reprimanded the group for engaging in illicit narcotics use next to a sacred place, instructing them firmly to vacate the area immediately. Enraged by the reprimand, the men escalated the verbal dispute into physical violence. In the ensuing clash, the assailants assaulted the elderly priest and repeatedly smashed his head using a kitchen grinding stone, leading to his instant demise from severe trauma.
Criminal Background of the Apprehended Accused
The individuals taken into custody have been identified as 20-year-old Ashif alias TT, hailing from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, and 34-year-old Ashif alias Kalia, originally a resident of Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Both suspects were currently residing in Kisan Mazdoor Colony in Faridabad, operating three-wheeled auto-rickshaws to make a living.
Investigators noted that Ashif alias TT has an active criminal history. He was previously implicated in at least three separate cases involving theft and offenses under the Arms Act, demonstrating a habitual involvement in anti-social activities.
Manhunt for Accomplices and Custodial Remand
Assistant Commissioner of Police Aman Yadav stated that both suspects confessed to their direct role in the homicide and disclosed the identities of their two remaining accomplices who participated in the deadly violence. Law enforcement authorities have confirmed the identities of the absconding suspects and are conducting coordinated raids across suspected hideouts to secure their arrests.
The two apprehended suspects will be produced before a local judicial magistrate, where investigators will seek police remand. Custodial interrogation will focus on recovering the grinding stone used as the murder weapon, tracking any looted belongings, and retrieving further forensic evidence linked to the scene of the crime.
