Murder of priest and guard fuels protest, highway blocked

KANPUR: Two bodies with throat slit were found on the borders of Unnao and Hardoi districts, triggering sensation. The residents of the area blocked Unnao-Hardoi highway on Tuesday, demanding the arrest of the murderer.
Upendra Prasad alias Fauji (55), a permanent native of Bihar, was working as a gateman at Haraipur railway crossing in Hardoi district. Swami Gopala Nand alias Nanda (58), a priest at Shiv Temple was living in Hoshram Ka Hata in Unnao district since past several years.
On Tuesday morning, Upendra Prasad and Swami Gopala Nand were found dead with cut injuries on throats. Both were found dead at the distance of about 200 metres away from each other. The body of gateman Upendra was found lying near his quarters and that of priest Swami Gopala Nand on the premises of Hoshram Ka Hata. The villagers blocked Unnao-Hardoi state highway on Tuesday morning.
SSP Hardoi Govind Agarwal and deputy superintendent of police Safipur (Unnao) Manoj Awasthi rushed to the spot and pacified the protestors. They assured them that the murderer would be arrested within two days. Traffic was affected for nearly four hours due to the protest.
Separate FIRs were registered with Bangarmau police and Mallawan police in this regard. According to police, Upendra's body was discovered by the driver of a goods train. Swami Gopala Nand's body was spotted by his landlord. The bodies were sent for a post-mortem examination.
Preliminary investigations revealed that it appears that both the murders were committed over old enmity. Police have also prepared a list of people who frequented them. The police are trying to recover their mobile phones that will be sent to the FSL and the call detail records will be accessed.