JAGTIAL: A 26-year-old temple priest, Pranav Kulakarni, was found dead on the banks of the Godavari River near Erdandi village in Ibrahimpatnam mandal on Wednesday, ending a three-day search.
According to police, Pranav, who served as the priest at the Gangadevi temple and Sri Rama temple in Erdandi village, had been missing since Sunday. His father, Dattatreya, lodged a missing person complaint with the Ibrahimpatnam police.
Villagers joined the police in combing the outskirts of the village and the Godavari riverbank. On Wednesday, locals spotted Pranav’s body on the riverbank and alerted the police, who shifted it for postmortem examination and other legal formalities.
Police said Pranav had migrated from Medak district a few years ago in search of employment and had settled in Erdandi village.
The exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained. Preliminary inquiry suggests that Pranav had been under severe mental distress for the past few days. Ibrahimpatnam police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances leading to his death.
