LUCKNOW: Sitapur police on Thursday arrested a temple priest and his two accomplices in connection with the murder of journalist Raghvendra Vajpayee, who was shot dead on March 8 in Maholi. Police said the accused priest, Shivanand Baba alias Vikas Rathore, allegedly orchestrated the killing after the journalist caught him sodomising a minor boy at the temple and threatened to expose him. Fearing disgrace and loss of reputation, Shivanand allegedly paid Rs 4 lakh to contract killers, using his aides Nirmal Singh and Aslam Ghazi as intermediaries.
While Shivanand and his two accomplices were arrested, the two shooters hired for the crime are still absconding. Vajpayee, 36, a reporter with a national Hindi daily and an RTI activist, was ambushed and shot multiple times while on his way home. Locals rushed him to hospital, but he was declared brought dead.According to police, Vajpayee regularly visited the Karedev Baba Temple in Maholi, where he became acquainted with Shivanand. In February, he allegedly caught the priest in a compromising act with a minor boy. "Fearing public disgrace and criminal proceedings, the priest plotted Vajpayee's murder and sought help from Nirmal Singh and Aslam Ghazi, who arranged for two shooters from outside the district," said Sitapur SP Chakresh Mishra.
Investigators also revealed a disturbing detail. Following the murder, the priest celebrated with a theatre artist, Komal Mishra, whom he met during a Raslila event. The two allegedly spent the night at a Sitapur hotel where they consumed alcohol and bhang. Police claim that the priest engaged in "unnatural sex" with Komal during the stay. Police said Shivanand maintained friendly relations with Vajpayee even after the murder was planned, so as not to raise suspicion.
Additional SP (South) Praveen Ranjan Singh led a 12-team special task force comprising field units, surveillance teams, and SOG personnel. More than 4,000 mobile numbers were screened and over 100 suspects questioned. Crucial CCTV footage from a petrol pump near the crime scene showed the shooters fleeing on motorcycles, which helped identify the suspects. While the actual murder site lacked CCTV coverage, the footage and eyewitness testimonies helped police trace the suspects. Shivanand, Singh, and Ghazi were arrested and presented before court on Thursday.
Police also recovered ₹17,000 from Nirmal Singh and ₹15,000 from Ghazi, along with mobile phones. Notably, police said Shivanand denied any relationship with the victim when first questioned, and even contacted a high court lawyer to seek anticipatory bail, raising red flags.
Journalist's wife junks police version, seeks CBI probe
Lucknow: Vajpayee, who lived in Maholi, was known for his hard-hitting reports and recently wrote on irregularities in paddy procurement. This initially led police to explore political or administrative motives. However, Vajpayee's wife, Rashmi, has cast doubt on the police's version. "First, they tried to malign my husband's character, now they are pushing another theory. We don't trust this investigation. We will approach the chief minister and demand a CBI probe," she said. Police said sketches of the two absconding shooters have been released and efforts are on to apprehend them.