Bhopal, Nov 6 (IANS) A day and a half after a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) office-bearer was murdered here late Wednesday, no one has been arrested. Police Friday said the assailants have been identified and a hunt launched to apprehend them.
“The culprits have been identified and the police have launched a hunt for them. They would be arrested soon,” said Additional Superintendant of Police Ruchi Srivastava.

Deen Dayal Sharma, 35, who was also a member of the Bajrang Dal, was killed late Wednesday when over half a dozen assailants armed with swords and lathis barged into the temple where he was a preist and attacked him. They have been identified as Jitu Pawar, Santosh, Athar, Akbar, Sharad, Puran Patel and Jai Prakash and a case has been filed against them.

“Hearing the screams, passers-by rushed in and found Sharma lying in a pool of blood. Two others were also lying there, severely injured. They were rushed to a hospital where doctors pronounced Sharma dead,” a police official said.

The other two injured during the attack are still undergoing treatment at the hospital and their condition is stable, the official added.

Sharma was cremated Thursday in his Kadaiya village in Bhopal district.

The police had a tough time trying to pacify the workers of Bajrang Dal, VHP and other allied organisations, agitated over Sharma’s murder. Heavy security was deployed.