Learned Katha in Vrindavan, occupied temple in Chhindwara:Preacher sexually assaulted youth, killed him; uncle and cousin helped dispose of body

“My wife and I were observing a fast dedicated to Pashupatinath, so we were not cooking non-vegetarian food at home. My son liked paneer, so I bought some from the market for him. The curry was being prepared, but he never came back home to eat it.” These are the words of a grieving father who lost his only son after he allegedly became the victim of a self-styled religious preacher’s sexual assault and murder. The incident took place on the night of June 10 at the Hanumangarh temple in Damua, Chhindwara district, where, according to police, a shocking crime unfolded inside the temple premises. According to exclusive information accessed by Dainik Bhaskar, the accused, Sagar Sahu, who identified himself as “Sharma Maharaj,” had reportedly learned to narrate the religious scriptures in Vrindavan. After returning, he allegedly gained the trust of locals by serving an elderly woman who lived at the Annapurna Mata Temple in Hanumangarh. Following the woman’s death, he allegedly built a room in the temple complex under the pretext of storing cattle fodder. Police later found the room equipped with a cooler, furniture, and other amenities. Investigators say the accused sexually assaulted the youth inside this room before killing him. The body was later dumped near the temple with the help of his uncle and cousin. All three accused have since been arrested and sent to jail. Accused visited victim’s home after he went missing On the night of June 10, the youth left home telling his family he was going to the Hanumangarh temple. When he had not returned by around 10 pm, his father tried calling him, but his phone remained out of network coverage. Around the same time, Sagar Sahu allegedly arrived at the victim’s house and told the family that their son had taken his mobile phone somewhere. The claim immediately raised suspicion, as the victim owned an expensive mobile phone himself. Concerned, the family rushed to the temple, where they found the victim’s motorcycle parked. However, the handle was not locked—something family members said he never failed to do. From around 11 pm until nearly 2 am, villagers searched every corner of the temple premises, but the youth could not be found. Body allegedly hidden under wood and clothes At around 2 am, a power outage plunged the area into darkness for nearly half an hour, slowing the search operation. When electricity was restored, the victim’s body was discovered beneath a three-foot-high wall beside the temple, allegedly concealed under wooden logs and clothes in an apparent attempt to hide it. People present at the scene immediately suspected Sagar Sahu, detained him, and later handed him over to police. Police say accused confessed during interrogation According to police, Sagar Sahu confessed during questioning. He allegedly told investigators that the youth had come to the temple on the evening of June 10, when no one else was present. The accused allegedly took him to the room used for storing cattle fodder and sexually assaulted him. Police said that when the victim resisted and threatened to inform his family about the assault, the accused panicked over the fear of public disgrace and allegedly strangled him using a rope meant for tying cattle. Body allegedly dumped during power cut Police said the accused initially hid the body inside the room. Later, during the power outage around 2 am, he allegedly sought the help of his uncle, Santosh Sahu, and cousin, Naman Sahu, to move the body outside and dump it beneath the wall in an attempt to make the death appear as an accident or an attack by someone else. Based on the accused’s disclosure, police recovered the victim’s underwear and motorcycle key from a hill behind the temple. However, his mobile phone and wrist bracelet are still missing. Victim was parents’ only child The murdered youth was the only child of his parents. Neighbours described him as a quiet, simple, and soft-spoken young man. His mother said he would inform family members even before going to the bathroom. She also recalled that he had battled a serious illness while studying in Class 10 and had survived after the family’s prayers and vows. Religious videos removed from social media Following the arrest, police removed videos and reels related to Sagar Sahu’s religious discourses and events from his social media accounts. Investigators are continuing to examine his digital activities as part of the ongoing investigation.