- By Shibra Siddiqui
- Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:21 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Sitapur police have arrested a temple priest and his two aids on Thursday in connection with the gruesome murder of a Dainik Jagran journalist, Raghvendra Vajpayee, in Maholi on March 8. The police said that the accused priest, Shivanand Baba alias Vikas Rathore, allegedly orchestrated the killing after the journalist caught him sodomising a minor boy at the temple and threatened to expose him, the Times of India reported.
The priest, fearing the loss of reputation, hired killers to eliminate the journalist. As per the reports, Shivanand allegedly paid Rs 4 lakh to contract killers, using his aides Nirmal Singh and Aslam Ghazi . While Shivanand and his two aids are arrested, the shooters are still at large.
"Fearing public disgrace and criminal proceedings, the priest plotted Vajpayee's murder and sought help from Nirmal Singh and Aslam Ghazi, who arranged for two shooters from outside the district," said Sitapur SP Chakresh Mishra, the report stated
Vajpayee Ambushed, Shot Multiple Times
A 36-year-old Dainik Jagran journalist and an RTI activist was on his way home when offenders ambushed and fired at him multiple times. Vajpayee was declared brought dead upon arrival in the hospital. According to police, Vajpayee regularly visited the Karedev Baba Temple in Maholi, where he became acquainted with Shivanand. In February, he allegedly caught the priest in a compromising position with a minor boy. The journalist threatened the Priest to expose him, which later prompted Shivanand to plan the journalist’s murder.
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A 12-team task force led by Additional SP (South) Praveen Ranjan Singh analysed over 4,000 mobile numbers and questioned more than 100 suspects. CCTV footage proved to be a crucial turning point in the case. Video from a nearby petrol pump finally helped identify the suspects after capturing the shooters fleeing on motorcycles.
Bhang Fueld Celebration: Priest Celebrated The Murder With Theatre Artist
The disturbing details of the incident revealed that temple priest Shivanand celebrated the murder with a theatre artist, Komal Mishra, whom he met during a Raslila event. According to the police, the two allegedly spent a night at a Sitapur hotel where they consumed alcohol and bhang and engaged in unnatural sex. The accused Priest maintained cordial relations with Vajpayee even after he had planned the murder to avoid suspicion.
Police confiscated 17,000 from Nirmal Singh and 15,000 from Ghazi along with mobile phones. Although Priest denied any contact with the Nirmal and Ghazi, he approached a high court lawyer to secure anticipatory bail, raising police suspicion, the report added.
Journalist’s Wife Rubbishes Police Claim, Seeks CBI Probe
The Dainik Jagran journalist often highlighted irregularities in the Paddy Procurement, which initially prompted police to explore the administrative and political angles in the case. However, the Journalist’s wife has expressed her doubt about the police's version. "First, they tried to malign my husband's character, now they are pushing another theory. We don't trust this investigation. We will approach the chief minister and demand a CBI probe," she was quoted as saying by the report. Police said sketches of the two absconding shooters have been released, and efforts are on to apprehend them.
