Varanasi:

A 45-year-old priest died by suicide after goddess Kali did not “appear” before him while he remained in prayer for 24 hours in Varanasi, police said on Wednesday.

Amit Sharma slit his throat at his rented accommodation in Gaighat Pathangali on Sunday evening. Police said Amit Sharma was rushed to a hospital but died during treatment.

Sources said Amit Sharma, who was an ardent devotee of Maa Kali, was in prayer for 24 hours inside a closed room since Saturday. The priest, the sources added, claimed that the goddess would “appear and meet him”. 

While praying, the priest continuously chanted “Maa Kali, Darshan De”. As several hours passed, he became disappointed and slit his throat using a knife. 

“He (the priest) was insistent that goddess Kali would appear before him. When that did not happen, he slit his throat. He was rushed to the trauma centre of a local hospital where he succumbed to injuries,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Ishan Soni said. 

Sharma’s landlord said the priest had been staying at the house for seven years. He would offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and also accompany tourists on religious pilgrimages.

Police said the body has been sent for post-mortem and a detailed probe is underway. 

(With inputs from Piyush Acharya)

Gorakhpur (UP):

A 28-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide after hearing that her husband hanged himself in a hotel room in Varanasi, police in Gorakhpur said on Monday.

The police identified the victims as Harish Bagesh (28) and Sanchita Sharan (28), they said.

Bagesh, an MBA graduate and Sanchita, a fashion photographer, married two years ago. Sanchita’s father, Dr Ram Sharan, told the police that Bagesh’s parents, who lived in Patna, did not accept the marriage.

After initially living in Mumbai, the couple moved to Gorakhpur in February to live with Dr Sharan. Bagesh had left his job before relocating, Mr Sharan said.

On Friday, Bagesh told Sanchita that he was going to Patna and the next day, Sanchita dropped him at the railway station. The couple last spoke on Saturday evening, Dr Sharan said.

On Sunday morning, the police informed the family that Bagesh had died by suicide in Varanasi, Dr Sharan said. Hearing this, Sanchita called him.

As he was preparing to leave for Varanasi, Sanchita told her father that she could not live without Bagesh and jumped from the second-storey of the building, Dr Sharan told the police.

Superintendent of Police (city) KK Vishnoi on Monday said that the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, and further action will be taken based on the report.

Police are investigating the reasons behind Harish’s visit to Sarnath and his subsequent suicide, Mr Vishnoi said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)