UP: Two ascetics found dead in Shahjahanpur; accused held

Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 1 (ANI): Two ascetics were allegedly murdered and their bodies burnt at a temple in Sutha village under Khudaganj police station limits in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district, police said on Thursday.
According to the police, a case is being registered against the accused, who has been indentified as Sumit, under relevant sections. The main accused, Sumit, has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. 
The police said that information about the incident was received at around 7 am, following which local police, senior officers and a forensic team reached the spot and initiated an investigation. The bodies were found in a burnt condition, and evidence was collected from the scene. 
"On October 1, 2026, at around 7 am, an incident involving two ascetics was reported at a religious site in Sutha village under Khudaganj police station limits," said the Shahjahanpur Police. 
Police said a written complaint was submitted by Shiv Kumar, the caretaker of the religious site. According to the complaint, a local man identified as Sumit had recently been released from jail after obtaining bail and had been spending time with the two ascetics in the days preceding the incident.
Preliminary information suggests that a dispute over the religious site's premises may have been a motive. According to the complaint and accounts cited by police, the accused allegedly wanted the two ascetics to leave the premises.
"Villagers have initially confirmed that Sumit had once told the two monks to leave, stating that he would now reside there and that he would have sole authority. Prima facie, this incident appears to have been a result of this very issue last night. All physical evidence was collected from the scene and both bodies were sent for post-mortem examination to determine the exact time and cause of the incident," the police said. 
Police have taken the named accused into custody for questioning and are examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The exact sequence of events, including whether the ascetics were killed before their bodies were set on fire, is yet to be established through the investigation and post-mortem findings.
Further details are awaited. (ANI)