Jaipur, Oct 10 (IANS): After protesting for over 24 hours, the last rites of the murdered temple priest in Rajasthan's Karauli district were performed on Saturday evening after the Gehlot government decided to give financial compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim's family along with a government job.
Two officials who had helped the accused were suspended.
The priest Babulal Vaishnav was burnt alive on Thursday by the land mafia while trying to stop them from encroaching upon temple land.
The priest of the Radha Gopal Ji temple in Bukna village in Karauli district, died in SMS Hospital in Jaipur on Thursday evening while being treated for burn injuries.
Around six people had allegedly poured petrol on the temple priest and set him on fire when he tried to stop them from encroaching on the temple land. The priest was rushed to the local hospital from where he was shifted to the Jaipur hospital. Here, he breathed his last on Thursday evening.
On Friday, Brahmin organisations staged a protest near the mortuary of the hospital demanding action against the local Police Station in-charge, transfer of the case to another circle office, a government job and compensation for the family. A team of police officials assured them that their demands would be fulfilled. It was only then that the family members took the body to the village on Friday evening, said Suresh Mishra, a Brahmin leader
The villagers here threatened that the last rites of the priest will not be performed till the demands of the family were met.
Meanwhile, taking cognisance of the incident, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Saturday spoke to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on the phone about the situation.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has taken cognisance of the matter and the police are carrying out a thorough investigation. The accused will not be spared, he said, according to a press note issued by the Governor's office.
Gehlot said the government is keeping a vigilant eye on the law and order arrangement and officials have been directed to take strict action, said the press note.
Meanwhile, the BJP sent a three-member team consisting of Alka Gurjar, MP Ramcharan Bohra and former BJYM leader Jitendra Meena to the village on Saturday for a probe.