The incident at Kalkaji temple was captured on CCTV camera and the footage showed several men assaulting the ‘sevadar’.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
A 35-year-old ‘sevadar’ at Kalkaji temple in south-east Delhi was allegedly beaten to death on Friday night by a group of visitors after he told them that the ‘prasad’ offered to devotees was over, a police officer said on Saturday.
Three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.
The police identified the deceased as Yogendra Singh, a resident of Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, who had been serving at the temple for nearly 15 years. The accused were identified as Atul Pandey, 30, a resident of Dakshinpuri; Mohan Bidhuri, 19, and Kuldeep Bidhuri, 20, both residents of Tughlaqabad.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) Hemant Tiwari, a PCR call was received around 9.30 p.m. on Friday about the assault at the temple. Singh was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he succumbed to injuries, the DCP said.
A case was registered at the Kalkaji police station against the accused under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (joint liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the DCP said. He added that efforts are on to nab the remaining accused.
The incident was captured on CCTV camera and the footage showed seven to eight men assaulting the sevadar with iron rods.
Raju, who also works as a sevadar at the temple, told The Hindu that an argument broke out when the accused demanded a ‘chunni prasad’ – a combination of a headscarf and ‘prasad’ – from Singh.
“Anguished when told that the ‘prasad’ was over, they [accused] dragged him out of the temple and beat him to death,” he said.
‘Workers shocked’
Siddharth Bhardwaj, general secretary of the temple committee, said the incident has shocked people working at the temple. “Singh just asked them [the accused] to adhere to the rules, but this angered them. The nature of the brutal attack has shocked everyone. Strict action must be taken so that no such crime is ever repeated,” he said.
People want action: AAP
Taking potshots at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Leader of the Opposition Atishi wrote to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta seeking her resignation.
“The situation in the Capital has become so bad that now people do not feel safe in their homes, markets, or even religious places. It would be better if you resign, because the people now want action, not excuses,” the letter stated. There was no reply to Ms. Atishi’s letter till the time of going to press.
Published – August 31, 2025 01:09 am IST
