Mumbai: Murder case registered in monk case - National News – News – MSN India - News

Mumbai: Murder case registered in monk case - National News – News – MSN India - News

Mumbai: Murder case registered in monk case
Mumbai: Police on Monday registered a case of murder in connection with the death of a Buddhist priest in mysterious circumstances here as local community leaders alleged foul play in the incident.The body of 75-year-old Buddhist priest Bhadant Sanghraj Thairo was found in his residence in the north-eastern suburb of Deonar on Sunday which led to protests by Dalit groups who alleged he had been murdered over a dispute on a realty redevelopment project.The police, which earlier filed a suicide case, have now registered a case of murder following outcry from local leaders who have alleged foul play in the death of Thairo.Joint Commissioner of Police Vijay Kamble said a case of murder had been registered at the behest of local residents and investigations were on. Sporadic incidents of protest, including stone pelting and blocking of roads, were reported in the eastern and western suburbs on Monday and 55 people were arrested across the city for participating in the protests, police said.Protestors pelted stones at public buses and in one incident at suburban Mulund a passenger was injured, a spokesperson for civic undertaking BEST said. A few instances of stone pelting at suburban trains on the Harbour line were also reported.Thairo's body, which was sent for a second post-mortem to the JJ Hospital, is to be brought back to Deonar for the funeral on Tuesday. Adequate security arrangements had been made for the funeral, police said. The situation in the area where the priest had lived and surrounding localities was peaceful by the evening.The first post-mortem report over the cause of death of Thairo proved to be "inconclusive" and local residents sought a second autopsy which was granted, police said.© Copyright 2007 PTI. All rights reserved