MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday called up his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath and urged him to take stringent action against those involved in the killing of two sadhus (seers) in the Bulandshahr district.


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"I called up the UP CM and expressed concern over the brutal killings today. We are all with the (Uttar Pradesh) government in tackling such heinous crimes," Thackeray said. The Shiv Sena chief stressed that on April 16, a similar incident of two sadhus and their driver being lynched had taken place in Palghar in which the Maharashtra government had initiated strong action.


"We are hoping that you will follow suit and give the strongest punishment to the accused in the (Bulandshahr) incident," Thackeray told his UP counterpart over the telephone.


The Maharashtra Chief Minister also appealed to Yogi Adityanath to ensure that "nobody should attempt to give the (Bulandshahr) incident any communal overtones". It may be recalled that four days after the Palghar mob-lynching case, a perturbed Adityanath had called up Thackeray and demanded action against the perpetrators of the crime against the sadhus, belonging to a Varanasi ashram.


Thackeray had assured prompt action in the matter and subsequently, around 110 accused villagers - including the five masterminds -- have been arrested in the case till date.


On April 20, Union Home Minister also spoke with Thackeray after which the state government had handed over the mob-lynching case to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) which is now probing the case.


All this happened after two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh on Monday night. The murder came to light when people reached the temple on Tuesday morning and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas (55) and Sevadas (35).


Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to reach the site of crime and inform him of the investigations. He also ordered strict action against the accused.


SSP Bulandshahr Santosh Singh said that one person had been detained. He had stolen an article form the two sadhus and the latter had scolded him.
The man arrested by police is suspected to have killed the two sadhus in a rage. 


Further investigations are underway and additional forces have been deployed in the area.


These murders come almost a fortnight after the Palghar lynching in Maharashtra, where two `sadhus` and their driver, proceeding from Nashik to Surat, were cornered and lynched by a 200-strong mob outside Gadchinchle village on April 16 night. Police had rushed to stop it but failed.