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Lucknow: A priest was beaten to death by armed miscreants over a minor dispute in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district, about 325 kilometres from here.
According to the police sources here, the victim, identified as Ashok Choube, who was a priest at a Hanuman Temple at Baripur village in the district, was attacked with lathis, bricks and sticks by over a dozen miscreants while he was sitting outside his residence at Tenua Choube village on Tuesday night.
Sixty-year-old Ashok Choube sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the medical college hospital at Gorakhpur but he succumbed to his injuries a little later, police officials said.
The officials said that the attackers, who were led by one Housala Paswan, had an altercation with the victim three days back over the opening of a shop, which was situated by the side of Ashok's house, late in the night.
The officials said that some members of Housala Paswan's family tried to force Ashok to open the shop but the latter refused saying that it was well past the closing time. The attackers had also threatened Ashok with serious consequences. Ashok informed the local police station about the incident but no action was taken in this regard.
Around a dozen people, armed with sticks, lathis and bricks, attacked Ashok on Tuesday night when he was sitting outside his house inflicting serious injuries on him.
Tension prevailed in the village after the incident, the officials said, adding that security personnel in strength had been deployed in the village to maintain law and order. Some people have been detained in connection with the incident and were being quizzed, the officials said.
Saints and seers from the local temples sharply condemned the incident and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. They also blamed the cops for the incient.