The murder of a Catholic Priest and a lady volunteer in Chhota Rampur area of Dehradun district has sent shock waves amongst the Christian community in Uttarakhand.
The priest Sadhu Astey and the volunteer, identified as Mercy, were found strangled in the two-room Smarpanalay Home in Chhota Rampur on Monday morning. While Astey was in his mid-fifties, Mercy was in her early thirties. The home was being run as a prayer centre, which also used to provide medical assistance to the needy.
The police said that prima facie it appeared to be a case of robbery. Circle Inspector Harish Verma told The Indian Express, “the home was ransacked and belongings scattered when the police reached the spot. A local informed the police after he noticed no movement at the home for the last two days. It appears that the murder was committed two days back.”
Astey had been running the home for over 15 years in the Muslim dominated area. Verma said the bodies have been sent for post mortem and the police are taking the help of the dog squad to gather clues.
