Facing the continuous torture by the working society of the Laxmi Narayan Mandir here, a 62-year old priest employed since 2002 who attempted a self-immolation yesterday succumbed to burn injuries at SMS hospital in the wee hours of Friday.
The victim Pandit Giriraj Sharma immolated self outside the residence of custodian and former chairman of the Temple Development Society in Murlipura area at 5 am on Thursday.
The temple society’s custodian Mool Chand Man was sleeping when the victim poured highly inflammable solvent over his body and ignited in the cover of darkness, but his act was caught in the CCTV footage.
Priest’s wife Mrs Chandrakanta lodged an FIR with the Murlipura police station alleging that seven functionaries of so called temple committee were harassing and torturing her husband since early this year, wanted to remove him, and did not pay a monthly remuneration of Rs.10000 despite many requests.
The police registered a case under section 306, 511, and 109 on the plaint of priest ‘s wife and arrested five out of seven accused after interrogation, the ACP Jhotwara Pramod Swami said.