Priest Murdered after Daughter is Born Despite his Prediction of a Son; Father and Son Arrested

Muzaffarnagar: Police on Friday claimed to have cracked the murder case of 81-year-old priest Devanand Maharaj, who was shot dead at an ancient Shiva temple in the Bhaurakalan police station area of Muzaffarnagar. The police arrested Zeeshan and his father in connection with the crime. According to investigators, the accused allegedly plotted the murder after becoming angry when a daughter was born in their family despite the priest's prediction that they would have a son.

Police Uncover Motive Behind the Priest's Murder

At around 3 pm on Friday, Akshay Sanjay Mahadik, Superintendent of Police (Rural), briefed the media about the case. He said Swami Devanandan, also known as Sadhu Devanand Maharaj, originally from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, had been living at the temple and performing religious rituals for approximately 25 years.

The priest was shot dead on the night of October 13, triggering a police investigation into the incident.

How Did the Birth of a Daughter Become the Alleged Motive?

During the investigation, police found that Zeeshan was in contact with the priest. According to the police, Maharaj had predicted that Zeeshan's family would have a son. However, a daughter was born around one-and-a-half months ago.

Investigators allege that Zeeshan was upset over the prediction not coming true and subsequently conspired with his father to murder the priest.

Accused Allegedly Tried to Mislead Investigators

On the night of the incident, Zeeshan allegedly took his father to the temple on a motorcycle. Following an argument, the priest was shot dead, according to the police account.

The accused allegedly attempted to divert the investigation by leaving photographs of their neighbour, Harendra, at the crime scene to make it appear that he was responsible for the murder.

However, police teams from multiple stations collected evidence and eventually identified the alleged perpetrators. Both accused were arrested, and the police said they recovered the country-made pistol allegedly used in the murder, along with the motorcycle, based on information provided by them.

Senior Police Officer Announces Reward for Investigation Team

Senior Superintendent of Police Suraj Rai announced a reward for the police team led by Station House Officer Pramod Kumar for solving the murder case.

The investigation has brought the alleged motive and the attempted effort to misdirect the police to the forefront. Further legal proceedings in the case are expected to follow.

Reported By: Rohit