KANPUR: A 60-year-old temple priest died of injuries sustained in a road rage attack in Biwar police station area of Hamirpur district.
Thrashed brutally with sticks by five men on Thursday, the priest died during treatment at Lala Lajpat Rai hospital in Kanpur late Friday.
Police said Ratiram Yadav, a native of Majra Chandauli Aheer village, was priest of Siddh Baba temple at Khadehi Mihuna village in Hamirpur since the past 10 years. On Thursday, Ratiram was going to the community health centre with his relative Anil on a two-wheeler, and was riding pillion.When they reached Maudaha tri-section in Baswari village, Ratiram found a relative riding a tractor engaged in a spat with five men travelling in a Bolero which had been damaged.
“He tried to pacify the men sitting in Bolero, but they picked up a quarrel with him instead, asking him to pay for the damage to the Bolero that was hit by his relative’s tractor. The men got agitated and attacked him mercilessly with sticks. Passersby tried to intervene to rescue him but failed. Ratiram started bleeding, slumped to the ground and fell unconscious,” said police.
Passersby alerted Ratiram’s family members who rushed to the spot and admitted him to nearby Sadar hospital from where he was referred to Lala Lajpat Rai hospital, where his condition deteriorated and he died on Friday.
“We have launched a hunt to nab the accused, who are on the run. We have picked up their family members and relatives for questioning. We have received a complaint, but since the postmortem was conducted in Kanpur, we are waiting for the report to lodge FIR,” said inspector Biwar Kotwali Banke Bihari Singh.