A middle-aged priest of a Shiva temple killed four persons – three sadhus along with a youth – after which hanged himself early on Sunday at Iyava village in Sanand taluka, some 20 km from Ahmedabad city.

3 other persons, including the main priest of the temple, sustained serious head accidents, police said.

According to reports, there have been 8 persons, including five priests, sleeping within the Nilkanth Mahadev temple premises that belongs to Nath sect.

“At five am, priest Dharamnath began attacking everybody sleeping in the temple having a heavy iron rod, including the main priest of the temple Somdnath Bapu.

1 from the villagers, Mahavirsinh Vaghela, managed to escape and knowledgeable fellow villagers about the accessoire,” stated R K Patel, deputy superintendent of police, Ahmedabad district.

Quickly, a team of villagers reached the spot and discovered that Dharamnath, who had already poured kerosene on the hurt individuals, was attempting to set them on fireplace. Seeing the villagers, he fled. But soon he was discovered hanging from the dome from the temple, Patel stated.

“The villagers called the crisis ambulance service (108) to rush them to the hospital but 4 of them succumbed to their injuries, including 3 priest (yet to become identified), who had come from somewhere else on Saturday evening, and a villager, Prithvirajsinh Vaghela,” Patel stated.

The injured happen to be admitted towards the VS Hospital in Ahmedabad while one of them is being handled at a private nursing home.

In accordance towards the villagers, on Saturday evening, several people had gone towards the temple to prepare prasad for the Sunday puja, which the temple continues to be organising for many years. The planning of prasad starts at midnight.

This Saturday as well, exactly the same ritual was being followed. Villagers stated the planning got more than at 3 am and everyone left the temple except three villagers and 4 priests, who went to sleep in the temple premises. Around five am, Dharamnath began hitting everybody with an iron rod within the head.

“Dharamnath had been residing within the temple for the final 15 years and was serving the primary priest. He was responsible for taking care of the temple also as preparing meals for your visitors. For your final couple of years, Dharamnath had become irritated and began bashing up the guests,” said a villager.

According to police, Dharamnath was reportedly mentally disturbed. He had, on numerous occasions, crushed up some villagers. But because he was a priest, nobody took his act seriously.

Dharamnath would reportedly get indignant on seeing guests, mostly priests, who utilized to come towards the temple at odd hrs. Villagers said he needed to feed the guests and while doing so he utilized to abuse a lot of people.