A suspected double murder has come to light in Uttarakhand's Haridwar after the bodies of two sadhus were found buried near the Pathreshwar Mahadev Temple. Police recovered the bodies from a forested area under the Pathri police station limits and have launched an investigation.

The deceased have been identified, and police have launched raids to trace the suspects, including the temple's chief priest and a few others who are under the scanner, while investigating the case from all angles.

INFORMANT ALERTED POLICE

Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Navneet Singh Bhullar said the case came to light after a man associated with the temple approached police and reported that two resident sadhus had gone missing.

The informant told police that he had seen two people digging a pit near the temple and suspected foul play. He also claimed that some people had consumed alcohol at the temple the previous night and that an argument had broken out, raising fears that an untoward incident had occurred.

Acting on the information, police reached the spot and found freshly dug pits in the nearby forest area. After removing the soil, they recovered the bodies of the two sadhus.

CCTV FOOTAGE, FORENSIC EVIDENCE UNDER SCANNER

A forensic team was called to examine the scene, and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death.

SSP Bhullar said CCTV footage from cameras installed in the temple premises has been collected and is being analysed. According to him, the footage has helped investigators identify the suspects.

"We have identified the suspects and are making efforts to arrest them at the earliest," Bhullar said.

- Ends

With inputs from Mudit Kumar Agarwal

Published By:

Satyam Singh

Published On:

Jul 21, 2026 17:53 IST