Haridwar: Two sadhus residing at the Pathreshwar Mahadev Temple in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district were allegedly murdered, with their bodies later discovered buried in a pit inside a nearby forest, police said on Tuesday.
According to police as cited in a HT report, the victims had been living at the temple in the Pathri area. Their disappearance prompted concern, following which a search operation was launched late Monday night under the supervision of Pathri police station in-charge Rabindra Singh. The search led investigators to a forested area near the temple, where the bodies were recovered from a pit.
Senior police officials said preliminary findings suggest the two sadhus were murdered before being buried in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause and time of death.
A forensic team has inspected the crime scene, while investigators are questioning local residents and people associated with the temple to establish the sequence of events and identify those responsible.
Police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation. Officials said multiple angles, including personal enmity and other possible motives, are being examined, though no arrests had been made at the time of reporting.