An elderly priest of a local temple near the Shibpur Botanical Garden in Howrah district was killed on Saturday after he tried to mediate in a street fight.

The deceased has been identified as Abodh Kishor Ojha.

According to eye-witnesses, the trouble began on Friday evening when a local tea-stall owner, Sunny Yadav, objected to the high-speed movement of a battery-operated e-rickshaw in front of his shop. The e-rickshaw driver, Milan Thapa, then got into an altercation with Yadav.

However, the matter was resolved by customers present at the tea-stall. Thapa left the scene, but not before threatening Yadav of dire consequences.

On Saturday afternoon, Yadav was going to a local temple to offer prayers when Thapa and his associates attacked him. Ojha, the priest of the temple, rushed out and tried to stop the brawl.

At this point, one of the associates of Thapa pushed Ojha. The aged priest fell down on the street and started sulking. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Thapa and his associates escaped from the scene.

Ojha was first shifted to the Howrah General Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, where the doctors declared him dead.

The police have launched an investigation into the matter and are trying to track the miscreants.

Tension is prevailing in the locality with people claiming that the deceased priest was loved by all. The locals also alleged that Thapa is known as a rowdy element in the locality, who is feared because of his political connections.

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline.)