In Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, police arrested a temple priest and two accomplices on Thursday for the murder of journalist and RTI activist Raghvendra Vajpayee, who was shot dead on March 8 in Maholi.
The accused priest, Shivanand Baba alias Vikas Rathore, allegedly hired contract killers after Vajpayee caught him sexually abusing a minor boy at the Karedev Baba Temple and threatened to expose him.
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According to Sitapur SP Chakresh Mishra, the priest paid Rs 4 lakh through intermediaries Nirmal Singh and Aslam Ghazi to arrange for two shooters from outside the district. Vajpayee, 36, who worked for a national Hindi daily, was shot multiple times while returning home. Locals took him to the hospital, but he was declared dead.
Police said the priest continued interacting normally with Vajpayee even after plotting the murder to avoid suspicion. Following the killing, he allegedly celebrated with theatre artist Komal Mishra, consuming alcohol and bhang at a Sitapur hotel. Police also alleged the priest engaged in "unnatural sex" with her during the stay.
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A 12-team special task force led by Additional SP (South) Praveen Ranjan Singh screened over 4,000 phone numbers and interrogated more than 100 people. CCTV footage from a nearby petrol pump showed the shooters fleeing on motorcycles, aiding identification. The actual crime scene had no CCTV coverage.
Shivanand, Singh, and Ghazi were arrested and produced in court. Police recovered ₹17,000 from Singh and ₹15,000 from Ghazi, along with mobile phones. Shivanand initially denied knowing the victim and had even sought anticipatory bail. Meanwhile, Vajpayee's wife has rejected the police version and is demanding a CBI probe.