Religious groups protest priests' killing

POKHARA, April 26: Religious organizations here launched protests on Sunday against the killing of two priests by an unidentified gang a few days ago. The organizations said the killing was an attempt to terrorize people through attacks on temples and other religious sites.



Slamming the local administration for not being able to nab the culprits involved in the killing even after nine days of the incident, around 60 associations including the World Hindu Federation took out a rally from Prithvi Chowk and handed over a memorandum to assistant chief district officer Benimadhav Gyawali.



The associations demanded arrest of the culprits by the end of Baisakh (mid-May), the killed priests be declared religious martyrs, compensation provided for the victims´ families and security of temples and religious sites ensured, among others.



Sixty-year-old priest Mukti Prasad Pokharel of a Shiva temple at Bachhabuduwa, Pokhara-16, and 85-year-old Tarananda Poudel Giri of a hermitage at Harihar cave in Jhalam-1 were brutally murdered by unidentified persons at separate places on April 18.

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