Jaipur: A temple priest was allegedly assaulted inside a temple in Jaipur following a dispute over the volume of devotional music being played during religious rituals. The incident, which was captured on the temple's CCTV cameras, has since surfaced online.
The incident took place around 7.45 pm on Friday at a Shiva temple in Ganesh Nagar Main on Niwaru Road. According to police, an argument broke out after a youth from a neighbouring family objected to the loud devotional songs being played at the temple.
CCTV Captures Violent Attack
The dispute reportedly escalated when the priest, identified as Pandit Ramkrishna, was allegedly attacked. CCTV footage purportedly shows a man arguing with the priest before knocking him to the ground and repeatedly kicking and punching him.
The footage also appears to show the priest's clothes being torn during the assault. A woman can be seen entering the scene and attempting to intervene as the altercation continues. Other people eventually stepped in and helped the priest.
Following the incident, Ramkrishna approached the Kardhani police station and lodged a complaint on Saturday. Police said he identified himself as the priest of the Shiva temple and alleged that Harish Chaturvedi, Devansh and Ritu, who belong to a neighbouring family, had confronted him over the volume of the music before the assault.
2 Arrested After Complaint
According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, Kardhani police station SHO Sawai Singh confirmed that Harish and Devansh were later arrested on charges related to disturbing the peace based on the complaint filed by the priest. Police have also registered a cross-complaint filed by members of the accused family. Cops are looking into both sides of the dispute.
The incident triggered anger among local residents and the priest's family. On Sunday afternoon, family members and residents gathered outside the Kardhani police station and submitted a memorandum seeking strict action against those responsible for the alleged assault. Police assured the protesters that the matter would be investigated and appropriate action would be taken based on the findings.
