Mystery shrouded over the brutal killing of a priest and his associate, whose bodies were recovered from the temple premises today, in Bijouli village in the Pali Mukimpur area, about 30 kms from here. The bodies were found in the morning on the roof of a building inside the temple compound.

The duo were sleeping there during the night, police said. The priest, identified as Kaalidas (75), and his associate, Sonpal, were battered to death by sticks and a farmer, Mahinder, whose fields are adjoining the temple compound, who was also sleeping on the same spot, was also critically injured in the attack.