Uttar Pradesh: Temple Priest and Two Associates Arrested for Journalist’s Murder in Sitapur
In a shocking development, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested a temple priest and two of his associates in connection with the murder of Raghvendra Bajpai, a journalist associated with a Hindi-language daily.
Bajpai was brutally shot dead on March 8 in the Maholi area of the Sitapur district, a crime that has stirred outrage and concern across the state’s media and local communities.
Sitapur Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra, while addressing the media, revealed disturbing details behind the motive for the murder.
According to the police, the accused priest — identified as Vikas Rathore, who also went by the alias Shivanand — had orchestrated the killing after the victim, Bajpai, reportedly witnessed him sexually abusing a minor boy on the temple premises.
Fearing exposure and the legal consequences that would follow, Rathore decided to eliminate Bajpai. Investigations have revealed that Rathore allegedly offered a contract of ₹4 lakh to his acquaintances, Nirmal Singh and Aslam Ghazi, both residents, to carry out the murder.
Accepting the offer, Nirmal and Aslam subcontracted the job to two professional shooters, who have since been identified but are currently absconding.
Police describe the hired shooters as hardened criminals with a lengthy criminal history, including multiple previous stints in jail. Efforts are underway to apprehend them, SP Mishra confirmed.
The police investigation has also unraveled Rathore’s past. He had been residing at the Maholi temple for the last five years under the assumed name Shivanand.
Initially, Rathore assisted the temple’s main priest in performing rituals and other religious ceremonies, gradually establishing himself as a trusted figure in the local religious community. Over time, he began performing priestly duties on his own and even received invitations to conduct religious services outside Sitapur.
However, beneath this outwardly spiritual facade, Rathore was allegedly engaging in predatory behavior. Police inquiries found that he had been sexually exploiting a minor boy, and it was during one such incident in February that Bajpai reportedly caught him in the act.
SP Mishra further elaborated that Bajpai, who was a regular visitor to the temple, had built a cordial relationship with Rathore, which likely gave him easier access to the temple premises and ultimately led to his discovery of Rathore’s criminal activities.
Once Rathore realized the potential threat of exposure posed by Bajpai, he began plotting the murder. Investigators believe the decision to kill the journalist was made soon after the February incident, and the conspiracy was executed just weeks later in March.
The murder had initially baffled investigators, but with the arrests of Rathore, Nirmal, and Aslam, the police have unraveled what they are calling a “cold-blooded and premeditated plot” rooted in the fear of public disgrace and criminal prosecution.
Authorities are continuing their search for the two absconding shooters, while the arrested trio remains in police custody and is expected to face multiple charges, including murder and criminal conspiracy.
The case has sent shockwaves through the journalist fraternity, who have demanded swift justice for Bajpai and expressed serious concerns over the safety of reporters working in sensitive areas.
